lERKELEY 

NIVE!>iTY  Of 
CALIFORNIA 


I'tSf'-t-^^ 


1 


A  STRANGE   ELOPEMENT 


^^ 


A 

STRANGE    ELOPEMENT 


BY 

W.    CLARK    RUSSELL 


ILLUSTRATIONS   BY   IV    H.    OVEKEND 


ilontion 
MACMILLAN     AND     CO. 

AND      NEW      YORK 
1892 

The  RigJJ  of  Translation  and  Reproduction  is  Reserved 


Richard  Clay  and  Sons,  Limited, 

LONDON    and    BUNGAY. 


s  Tr 


CONTENTS 


I. 

PAGE 

MR.    GODFREY   PELLEW I 

II. 
GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE 26 

III. 
MY    MYSTERIOUS   CABIN-FELLOW 48 

IV. 

MR.    CHARLES    WORTLEY    CUNNINGHAM 79 

V. 

I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER .      .       II4 

VI. 

THE   GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME 144 

VII. 

ONE    MIDDLE    WATCH I^I 

VIII. 

CONCLUSION 211 


147 


LIST    OF     ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

"MY  NAUSEA?"  HE  EXCLAIMED.       "  OH,  YES,  TOBACCO  IS  GOOD 

FOR   SEA-SICKNESS "        3^ 

SHE    SAT    MOTIONLESS    AS   THOUGH    IN    A    PROFOUND    REVERIE  .        45 

HE  TUCKED  HIS   DAUGHTER'S  HAND  UNDER  HIS  ARM   AND   FELL 

TO   PATROLLING   THE   DECK    WITH    HER SS 

I    THEREFORE    FILLED     MY     PIPE     AFRESH    AND     LINGERED    AT 

HIS    SIDE 76 

'^has   he  given  you  a  reason,   captain  swift,   for  his 

clinging  to  his  cabin? '" s3 

he  then  stepped  to  the  door,  elbowed  his  butler  out 
of  the  road,  and  asked— still  choking — whether 
i  meant  to  go  or  not loi 

she  went  to  her  cabin,  the  door-handle  of  which  she 

seemed  to  grope  for  as  though  she  were  blind  .        1 24 

"these  are  the  lines  you  were  admiring  so  much '^  .    .    136 

"i  must  insist,  sir,"  he  cried,  "upon  your  ascertaining 
who  the  person  15  who  lies  skulking  in  his  cabin 
below" 160 


viii  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

FORTUNATELY,  MY  HEIGHT  ENABLED  ME  TO  KEEP  A  GOOD 
HOLD  OF  THE  RAIL,  BUT  THAT  CONFOUNDED  CLOAK  WAS 
AS  THOUGH  I  WERE  CARRYING  SEVERAL  MEN  ON  MY 
BACK 171 

ME   SHE    NOW    SCARCELY    NOTICED 179 

I    WAS    ASTOUNDED    TO     FIND      HIM    NOT    ONLY     GAGGED     BUT 


HELPLESSLY    BOUND 


189 


"OH,     BUT    SIR    CHARLES    WILL    THINK    ME    AN    ACCOMPLICE, 

SIR,"    SHE   EXCLAIMED    IN    A    BROKEN    VOICE 21 7 

AT  DAYBREAK   THERE   WAS    A    RUSH    ALOFT    OF    ALL   HANDS  .     .      224 

"MY    WISHES    ARE   THAT    WHEN    THE   WIND    COMES    YOU    PRO- 
CEED   WITHOUT    A     moment's     UNNECESSARY    DELAY     ON 
■    YOUR   voyage" 231 

THE    SCHOONER    HAD    FALLEN    IN    WITH    AN    OPEN     BOAT.  CON- 
TAINING  FOUR    PERSONS,    ONE   OF   WHOM   WAS   A   LADY  .     .      244 


A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT 


MR.    GODFREY    PELLEW 

Having  perfectly  recovered  my  health  after 
a  term  of  sick-leave  that  had  run  into  many 
months,  I  went  on  board  the  Light  of  Asia 
at  Plymouth.  In  this  ship  I  had  taken  my 
passage  to  Calcutta  to  rejoin  my  regiment.  I 
am  writing  of  thirty  years  ago,  when  the  road 
to  the  East  lay  by  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  when  a  voyage  to  India  signified 
a  residence  of  four,  sometimes  of  five  months 
on  board  ship. 

The  Light  of  Asia  was  a  large  Blackwall 
3£  ^ 


2  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  i 

liner,  as  a  certain  class  of  vessels  which  sailed 
from  the  Thames  used  to  be  called.     She  rose 
to  a  burthen  of  about  fifteen  hundred  tons,  and 
in  those  days  she  was  reckoned  a  big  ship.      I 
have  the  picture  of  her  before  me  now  as  she 
floated  that  September  day  on  the  silk-smooth 
surface   of   Plymouth  Sound,    blue   Peter   lan- 
guidly swaying  at  the  fore,  her  house  flag  of 
brilliant  dyes  clothing,  as  with  a  coat  of  fire, 
the  head  of  the  royal  mast  at  the  main,  and  a 
great  brand-new  crimson  ensign  drooping  from 
the  gaff  end,  and  streaking  the  water  under  the  * 
stern  with  a  dash  of  red  as  though   a  soldier 
had   fallen   overboard   and  was  slowly  settling 
to  the  bottom.     I  am  no  sailor,  yet  I  believe 
had   I   commanded  that  ship   I   could  not  pre- 
serve  a  clearer   recollection  of  her.     A  broad 
white   band   broken   with   black   painted    ports 
ran   along   her  side,    and   you    looked    for    the 
tompioned  muzzles  of  guns,  so  frigate-like  did 
she    float.      The    thick    rigging    of   hemp    rose 
black  and  massive  to  the  tops  and  cross-trees 


I  MR.    GODFREY   PELLEW  3 

and  upon  the  yards  lying  square  across  ihe 
masts,  the  sails  were  stowed  white  as  sifted 
snow,  and  they  resembled  sifted  snow  moulded 
to  the  image  of  furled  canvas  by  cunning 
hands.  The  morning  sunshine  was  on  her  and 
the  lambencies  of  the  circular  windows  along 
her  sides  trembled  in  prisms  and  stars  in  the 
water  that  brimmed  to  a  hand's  breadth  above 
her  yellow  sheathing. 

Several  boats  were  congregated  at  the  foot 
of  her  gangway  ladder  ;  her  forecastle  was  rich 
with  the  scarlet  of  the  tunics  of  some  three  or 
four  scores  of  soldiers.  Many  people,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  were  in  motion  upon  her  poop  deck, 
some  gazing  at  the  boats  over  the  side,  some 
taking  farewell  looks  at  the  land  through  bin- 
ocular glasses.  The  figures  of  sailors  running 
about  could  be  seen  in  the  open  gangway,  and 
the  delicate  breathing  of  the  morning  air  was 
made  vocal  by  the  shrill  whistling  of  a  boat- 
swain's pipe,  though  for  what  purpose  that 
music  was  played  I  cannot  tell.     A  number  of 

v>  2 


4  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  i 

the  passengers  had  come  round  in  the  ship 
from  Gravesend,  but  others,  like  myself, 
were  joining  her  at  Plymouth,  and  when  I 
mounted  the  gangway  ladder,  I  found  the 
quarter-deck  full  of  people.  The  bustle  was 
disordering  to  the  spirits.  It  is  hard  enough 
to  take  leave  of  one's  native  land  for  one's 
self;  but  to  witness  the  distress  of  departure  in 
others,  the  dejected  countenance,  the  swim- 
ming eyes,  the  clinging  of  hand  to  hand,  to 
hear  the  broken  utterances  of  farewell,  the 
"God  bless  you,  my  darling,"  the  ''Write  soon 
and  often,"  the  heart's  grief  in  each  syllable 
taking  new  and  piteous  accentuation  from  the 
lip  quivering  as  it  forms  the  words — these  are 
things  to  convert  one's  own  personal  emotion 
into  a  real  burden  of  wretchedness,  and  I  was 
glad  to  scramble  as  best  I  could  through  the 
crowd,  and  through  the  boxes  and  bundles 
which  littered  the  deck  into  the  comparative 
repose  of  the  saloon,  or  cuddy  as  it  was  then 
called,    in    search    of    a    steward    who    should 


I  MR.  GODFREY   PELLEW  5 

convey    my   bags    below  and    show  me  where 
my  bedroom  was. 

All  my  baggage  had  been  put  aboard  in  the 
London  Docks,  and  so  when  I  met  with  a 
steward,  there  was  no  more  for  him  to  convey 
to  my  berth  than  a  small  portmanteau  and  one 
or  two  bundles.  He  was  one  of  the  under- 
stewards,  a  young  flat-faced  man  in  a  camlet 
jacket,  and  a  strawberry  mark  on  his  cheek.  I 
gave  him  my  name, — Captain  Swift — and  he 
at  once  seemed  to  know  where  my  berth 
was. 

"  Is  the  gentleman  who  is  to  share  my  cabin 
on  board  ? "  said  I. 

"  He  is,  sir.'' 

"  Where  did  he  join  the  vessel  ? " 

"  In  the  Docks." 

"He  seems  to  wish  to  make  a  longer  voyage 
of  it  than  need  be.  What  sort  of  trentleman  is 
he — old  or  young  ?  And  his  calling,  do  you 
know  ?  " 

"  He's  young,  sir.      Can't  tell  you  his  calling, 


6  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  1 

I'm  sure.  A  gent,  I  take  it;  simply  a  gent. 
He's  no  sailor,  for  he's  kept  his  bed  ever  since 
we  hatiled  out,  and  there  he's  still  alying." 

I  was  vexed  to  hear  this,  for  the  association 
of  a  man  chronically  sea-sick  as  a  bedroom 
companion  threatened  a  truly  awful  condition 
of  the  voyage  if  I  should  be  unable  to  exchange 
my  berth. 

I    had    thus    questioned    the    under-steward 
whilst   we   stood   at  thjs  head  of   the  staircase 
which  conducted  to  the  quarters  I  was  to  oc- 
cupy ;   and  let   me   here   explain  the   structure 
of  the  after  part  of  this  ship,  for  it  is  the  stage 
on  which   was    enacted   the    singular  drama    I 
am  going  to  tell  you  about,  and  it  is  desirable 
for   due   appreciation  of  the   performance   that 
the  scenery  should  be  very  clearly  submitted. 
The   saloon,  then,   of  this  ship  consisted  of   a 
long  interior  ;  the  deck  or  roof  of  it  was  called 
the    poop.     A  row    of  cabins    went    down    on 
either  hand,  and  in  the  centre  was  a  long  table 
with   a   cross  table   at  the  after   end,   the  two 


I  MR.   GODFREY   PELLEW  7 

forming  the  shape  of  the  letter  T,  and  fixed 
benches  ran  the  leno^th  of  the  table  for  the 
people  to  sit  upon  at  their  meals.  The  huge 
trunk  of  the  mizzen-mast  pierced  the  deck  and 
might  have  passed  for  a  colossal  column  de- 
signed wholly  for  the  support  of  the  roof  of 
this  saloon.  Everything  was  in  good  taste 
with  something  of  pomp  in  the  decorations. 
There  were  many  mirrors  ;  the  carpets  were 
rich  ;  the  lamps  were  numerous  and  of  brilliant 
metal  ;  there  was  a  handsome  piano,  and,  fore 
and  aft,  the  place  was  abundantly  sweetened 
and  lightened  by  the  perishing  beauties  of 
flowers.  Close  against  the  front  of  the  saloon, 
where  the  windows  of  it  overlooked  the  main- 
deck,  w^as  a  large  square  hatchway  down  which 
fell  a  flight  of  broad  steps  that  conducted  to  a 
row  of  cabins  similar  to  those  above  them. 
My  berth  was  there — my  half-berth  as  I  may 
call  it,  and  thither  I  now  followed  the  under- 
steward  anxious  to  establish  myself  speedily 
that    I    might    get    on     deck    again     and    see 


8  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  i 

what  sort   of  people   I   was  to   have  as  fellow 
passengers. 

The  cabin  I  was  shown  into  was  somewhat 
dark.  This  was  partly  due  to  my  entering  it 
fresh  from  the  bright  light  above.  A  degree 
of  gloom,  however,  absent  in  the  other  cabins, 
was  occasioned  by  the  overhanging  ledge  of 
the  mizzen-channels,  a  wide  platform  project- 
ing from  the  ship's  side  for  spreading  the 
rigging  of  the  mast.  The  cabin  porthole 
looked  directly  out  from  under  this  channel 
which  served  to  shade  it  from  the  light  as 
the  peak  of  a  cap  protects  the  eyes.  There 
was  nevertheless  plenty  of  light  to  see  by,  and 
I  found  myself  in  a  small  compartment  fur- 
nished in  the  usual  seagoing  fashion  with  a 
couple  of  bunks  or  bedsteads,  one  on  top  of 
the  other,  the  top  one  close  under  the  port- 
hole, a  contrivance  of  basin,  glass  and  the  like 
in  a  corner  for  purposes  of  toilet,  two  small 
fixed  chests  of  drawers,  and  a  small  heap  of 
luggage    marked    with    the    letters    G.    P.       I 


I  MR.   GODFREY    PELLEW  -9 

noticed  a  scent  of  tobacco,  as  though  a  pipe  or 
cigar  had  been  recently  extinguished. 

In  the  lower  bulk  lay  a  young  fellow  dressed 
in  a  suit  of  tweed  with  varnished  shoes  and 
red  silk  socks.  His  hands  were  folded  upon 
his  waistcoat  and  there  was  a  flash  of  gems 
upon  them  as  he  breathed.  I  could  not  very 
clearly  distinguish  his  face  in  the  gloom  of 
the  hole  in  w-hich  he  reposed,  but  what  little 
I  saw  instantly  struck  me  as  remarkable.  It 
was  a  revelation  of  manly  beauty — a  slow  steal- 
ing out,  from  the  dimness,  of  physical  lineaments 
of  wonderful  grace  and  charm.  To  say  this 
Is  perhaps  to  say  all  that  I  have  it  in  my  power 
to  communicate,  for  any  effort  of  description 
would  impair  in  the  reader  the  impression 
which  I  desire  to  reflect  from  my  own  sense 
and  memory  of  this  young  man's  beauty.  This 
much,  however,  I  may  say,  that  he  differed 
from  the  fashion  that  was  at  that  period  current 
in  the  wearing  of  his  hair.  The  whisker  was 
then  almost  universally  worn  ;    but    the   cheek 


lo  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  I 

and  chin  of  this  young  man  were  as  smooth 
as  a  woman's  whilst  his  dark  auburn  moustache 
was  not  so  heavy  but  that  it  allowed  his  very- 
perfectly  formed  mouth  to  be  seen.  Though 
recumbent  his  stature  was  to  be  known  by 
the  measurement  of  his  bunk — that  was  six 
feet,  six  inches — from  whose  bottom  board 
his  feet  rested  at  a  distance  of  about  half  a 
foot. 

I  stood  looking  at  him  for  a  little  while, 
scarce  conscious  of  the  incivility  of  such  a  stare 
in  the  fascination  I  found  in  his  appearance, 
He  eyed  me  in  return  with  a  clear,  keen  gaze 
that  gave  the  lie  direct  to  the  drowsy  droop 
of  his  eyelids.  Sea-sick  he  certainly  was  not  ; 
nor  did  he  discover  the  least  appearance  of 
indisposition  of  any  sort  ;  and  I  was  astonished 
to  find  him  lying  in  the  comparative  gloom 
of  this  cabin  instead  of  being  on  deck  where 
the  weak  sweet  breath  of  the  morning  air, 
charged  with  the  autumnal  aromas  of  the  land, 
was  to  be  tasted,  and  whence  a  noble  spectacle 


i  MR.  GODFREY- PELLEVV  11 

of  English  scenery  was  to  be  viewed  ;  the 
sloping  greenery  of  Mount  Edgcumbe,  the 
little  emerald-like  gem  of  Drake's  Island,  the 
pleasant  slope  of  the  Hoe,  and  the  fifty  details 
of  marine  beauty  betwixt  the  ship  and  the 
shore  in  the  shape  of  the  line  of  battle  ship 
straining  at  her  anchor  with  her  three  tiers  of 
batteries  overhano;inor  the  smooth  waters,  the 
dark-winged  smack  languidly  seeking  an  offing, 
a  Symondite  brig-of-war  delicate  as  a  carving 
of  tinted  ivory. 

The  steward  put  my  traps  into  my  bunk 
and  was  about  to  quit  the  cabin. 

"When  do  we  sail?"  exclaimed  the  young 
fellow  in  a  soft  and  quiet  voice. 

"  At  noon,  sir." 

The  young  man  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  How  many  passengers  have  come  on  board 
since  we  dropped  anchor  here  ?  "  said  he. 

"  I  cannot  tell,  sir,"  answered  the  steward  in 
a  tone  of  mingled  respect  and  astonishment. 
"  I   will  inquire,  sir." 


12  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  i 

''  Do  SO,  and  get  me  a  list  of  the  passengers 
if  you  can,"  exclaimed  the  young  fellow  speak- 
ing with  some  increase  of  energy,  and  in  any- 
thing but  a  sea-sick  voice. 

''Very  good,  sir."  Again  the  steward  was 
making  as  if  to  go  when  he  suddenly  paused 
and  said,   *'  Shall  you  lunch  in  the  saloon,  sir  ?  " 

"  No  ; "  replied  the  young  fellow  with  a  sud- 
den drop  in  the  note  of  his  voice>  the  artificiality 
of  which  was  instantly  distinguishable  by  my 
ear.  "  I  am  not  well,  and  here  I  shall  stop. 
Let  me  have  my  meals  as  before — the  leg  of 
a  chicken,  a  pint  bottle  of  champagne — the 
merest  trifle  will  serve  my  turn  until  I  feel 
better.  If  I  give  trouble  I  hope  there  is  no- 
thing unusual  in  it.  People  are  sometimes 
squeamish  at  sea,  arent  they  ? " 

"  Sometimes,  sir,"  answered  the  man.  He 
paused,  and  finding  the  young  fellow  silent, 
went  out. 

"  I  am  to  share  your  berth,"  said  I,  struck 
by    his    talk    to    the    steward    as    though    my 


I  MR.  GODFREY   PELLEW  13 

presence    were    unheeded    by    him  ;     "I    hope 
I    shall   not   inconvenience  you  ?  " 

''  No.  It  cannot  be  helped.  I  wished  to 
have  a  cabin  to  myself,  but  the  ship  is.  full. 
May  I   ask  your  name?" 

"  Swift — Captain  Swift."  I  added  the  name 
of  my  regiment  and  asked  if  he  was  in  the 
army. 

"  No."  There  was  an  energy  in  his  no  s 
that  to  the  ear  corresponded  to  the  beat  of  a 
strong  pulse  to  the  finger.  ''My  name  is 
Pellew,   Mr.   Godfrey   Pellew." 

As  he  spoke  I  glanced  at  the  initials  upon 
a  portmanteau  that  lay  close  by.  Was  it  be- 
cause of  his  way  of  pronouncing  the  words 
Godfrey  Pellew  ?  Was  it  because  of  some 
instinctive  incommunicable  reason,  unintelli- 
gible to  myself  perhaps,  that  I  could  not  find 
it  in  me  to  fit  the  name  to  the  man  who 
pronounced  it  ?  This  much  I  recollect  :  I  was 
as  certain  at  that  moment  that  Godfrey  Pellew 
was   not   his   name  as   that    mine  was  Graham 


14  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  i 

Swift.  His  large  eye  was  resting  full,  keenly, 
and  intelligently  upon  me  as  I  turned  afresh  to 
view  him  ;  but  the  lids  drooped  in  a  moment 
and  he  suddenly  averted  his  face  whilst  he 
pocketed  the  watch  which  he  had  continued 
to  hold  and  toy  with. 

I  was  in  no  temper  to  express  sympathy 
with  an  indisposition  which  seemed  to  me  en- 
tirely feigned  ;  and  however  much  my  curiosity 
was  to  be  presently  tickled,  just  now  I  was  too 
full  of  thoughts  of  the  leave-taking  I  was  fresh 
from — of  the  beloved  mother  I  had  said  good- 
bye to,  perhaps  for  ever — of  the  old  country 
which  it  might  be  my  destiny  never  again  to 
behold — for  my  mind  to  feel  actively  interested 
in  this  extraordinarily  handsome  and  mysterious 
cabin  companion  of  mine.  I  briefly  inquired 
if  I  could  be  of  any  use  to  him ;  there  were 
boats  alongside ;  had  he  letters  to  send,  any 
communication  to  make  with  the  shore  ?  He 
thanked  me  with  a  graceful  smile  which  swiftly 
faded  as  to  a  sudden  emotion  of  despondency, 


MR.  GODFRF.Y   PELLEW  15 

and  there  beine  nothinof  to  detain  me  in  the 
cabin  I  sHghtly  bowed  to  him  and  quitted  the 
berth. 

I  escaped  the  crowd  on  the  main  deck  by 
making  for  the  poop  through  the  companion 
way.  As  I  passed  through  the  saloon  I  ob- 
served a  busy  coming  and  going  of  people, 
little  knots  in  earnest  conversation,  doors 
suddenly  opening  and  closing  with  figures 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen  at  the  table  eagerly 
scratching  some  final  missive  for  the  shore. 
There  was  a  good  number  of  persons  assem- 
bled on  the  poop,  a  large  proportion  of  them 
friends  of  the  passengers,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  tell  who  was  and  who  was  not  going  out 
in  the  ship.  It  was  about  eleven  o'clock  ;  we 
were  to  sail,  if  the  under-steward  was  to  be 
believed,  at  noon.  The  captain  however  was 
not  apparently  on  board  and  at  present  there 
were  no  signs  of  the  ship  getting  under  way. 
I  lighted  a  cigar  and  planted  myself  right  aft. 
close    against    the    deserted    wheel,    and    with 


i6  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  I 

folded  arms  contemplated  the  picture  of  the 
fabric  that  was  to  be  my  home  for  the  next  four 
or  five  months. 

I  confess  I  had  never  felt  lonelier.  It  was 
not  wholly  the  reactionary  emotion  of  leave- 
taking  and  the  mere  sense  of  being  alone  ; 
there  was  in  addition  that  deep  and  burdensome 
feelinof    of   solitude    that    visits  a   man   who  is 

o 

solitary  in  a  crowd.  Whilst  I  stood  in  a 
melancholy  mood  blowing  a  cloud  of  tobacco 
smoke,  and  watching  with  dull  interest  the 
various  gestures  and  facial  expressions  of  the 
knots  of  people  and  surveying  with  languid 
admiration  the  combined  effect  of  this  picture 
of  almond-white  decks,  of  burnished  glass 
skylights,  of  sparkling  brass-work,  of  the 
soft  and  various  hues  of  women's  apparel, 
of  the  scarlet  of  the  soldiers'  uniforms,  blend- 
ing with  the  striped  shirts  or  rough  blue  jackets 
of  the  seamen,  the  whole  framed  by  the  tall 
line  of  the  bulwarks  from  which  ascended 
the  heavy  black  mass  of  the  shrouds  and  gear, 


I  MR.  GODFREY    PELLEW  17 

carrying  the  eye  upwards  to  the  starry  altitudes 
of  the  trucks  whose  white  buttons  gleamed 
against  the  misty  blue  as  though  they  were 
formed  of  frosted  silver  ;  whilst,  I  say,  my  eyes 
and  thoughts  were  thus  despondently  busy,  there 
arose  through  the  companion  hatch,  the  yawn 
of  which  immediately  confronted  me  as  I 
stood  abaft  the  wheel,  the  figure  of  a  stout, 
fiercely-whiskered  military  man,  who  on 
putting  his  foot  upon  the  deck  turned  to 
extend  his  hand  to  a  young  lady  who  was 
following  him. 

I  seemed  to  know  the  gentleman  by  sight  : 
I  had  probably  met  him  at  a  club  ;  some 
fleeting  view  of  him  perhaps  as  he  sat  at 
table  or  passed  through  a  room  had  left  upon 
my  mind  the  impression  of  his  handsome, 
striking,  but  haughty,  fierce,  and  forbidding, 
face.  He  was  above  six  feet  in  height,  erect 
as  a  ramrod,  with  that  sort  of  figure  which 
when  witnessed  in  men  of  my  calling  makes 
one  think  of  the  thunder  of  a  charger's  gallop, 

c 


i8  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  i 

of  the  gleam  of  a  brandished  sabre,  and  of 
some  motionless  confronting  ranks  of  men, 
massed  into  a  hedge  of  gleaming  blue  steel. 
His  whiskers  were  white,  and  stood  out 
formidably  from  either  cheek  ;  his  large  mous- 
tache lay  like  a  roll  of  cotton  wool  under 
his  nostrils,  and  either  side  of  it  went  with 
an  angry  curl  that  reached  very  nearly  to 
the  ear.  A  fixed  air  of  frowning  was  in 
his  eyes  which  were  of  the  deadness  of  un- 
polished jet,  suggesting  black  blood  not  very 
many  generations  back.  The  dark  hue  of 
his  cheek  was  made  darker  yet  by  the  contrast 
of  his   white    hair. 

It  was  easy  to  guess  that  the  young  lady 
whom  he  handed  through  the  companion-way 
was  his  daughter.  The  subtlety  of  the 
resemblance  eludes  description.  Of  the  several 
types  of  female  beauty  I  have  beheld  in  my 
time  and  can  recall  there  is  none  that  I  can 
remember  to  compare  this  girl's  with.  It 
was    not    the    amazingly    delicate    complexion 


I  MR.  GODFREY    PELLEW  19 

of  her  skin,  nor  the  dull  bronze  of  her  hair, 
nor  the  liquid  softness  and  fire  of  her  large, 
dark-brown  eyes  ;  there  was  nothing  in  lip, 
nose,  or  ear  ;  in  form  of  face  or  grace  of  brow 
that  created  for  her  that  individuality  of  charm 
and  separate  wonder  of  beauty  which  my  sight, 
on  going  to  her,  instantly  witnessed.  What 
was  it  then  ?  The  pen  of  a  Hawthorne  or 
of  a  De  Ouincey  alone  could  expound  the 
mystery. 

Never  could  one  figure  the  melancholy  of 
resignation  expressed  in  the  same  degree  as  one 
found  it  in  this  girFs  countenance,  she  always 
seemed  to  be  seeing  something  beyond  the  object 
at  which  she  directed  her  eyes.  Her  father, 
for  her  father  it  was,  addressed  her,  as  he  stood 
a  moment  sending  a  sweeping  look  over  the 
people,  then  gave  her  his  arm,  and  together 
they  went  forward,  where  he  was  immediately 
accosted,  and  was  presently  towering  amid  a 
little  group  that  gathered  round  him. 

A  sailorly-looking  man  with  a  sunburnt  face, 

c   2 


20  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  i 

a  naval  peak  to  his  cap,  and  dressed  in  a  suit  ol 
serge  came  with  a  deep  sea  hirch  to  the  bin- 
nacle, behind  which  I  was  sitting  on  a  grating 
that  formed  a  little  deck  abaft  the  wheel.  I 
guessed  him  to  be  one  of  the  mates  of  the  ship 
and  carelessly  asked  him  at  what  hour  we  sailed. 

"Very  shortly,  sir,"  he  answered.  "I'm 
expecting  the  captain  aboard  every  minute,  and 
the  moment  he  arrives  we  shall  get  our  anchor." 

*'  You  have  a  great  number  of  passengers  ?  " 

"  We  are  a  full  ship." 

"  Pray,"  said  I,  "  can  you  tell  me  the  name 
of  that  tall  gentleman  yonder  with  the,  white 
whiskers — that  man  who  stands  there  with  the 
charming  young  lady  on  his  arm  ?  " 

"  Major  -  General  Sir  Charles  Primrose, 
K.C.B.,  and  as  much  more  of  the  alphabet  going 
to  his  name  as  would  steady  a  big  kite  if  they 
were  made  a  tail  of,"  he  replied  with  a  laugh 
in  the  light-blue  eye  he  turned  upon  me. 

The  name  was  of  course  familiar  to  me,  and  I 
could  now  recollect  having  read  or   heard  that 


I  MR.   rxODFREV    TELLEW  21 

Sir  Charles  was  about  to  proceed  to  India  to  take 
command  of  a  district  whose  name  has  escaped 
my  memory.  I  asked  the  mate  if  the  young  lady 
who  leaned  upon  the  General's  arm  was  his 
daughter  ;  he  answered,  yes  :  she  was  Miss 
Primrose,  as  it  stood  in  the  passengers'  list. 

''Is  Lady  Primrose  on  board  ?  "  I  said. 

He  could  not  tell  ;  he  believed  not  ;  he 
fancied  that  the  General  was  a  widower. 

This  m.ate,  who  turned  out  to  be  the  chief 
officer  of  the  ship,  Mr.  John  Freeman  by  name, 
had  very  little  information  to  give  about  the 
passengers.  Yet  we  contrived  to  find  topics 
enough  to  keep  us  leaning  over  the  side  some 
ten  minutes  or  quarter  of  an  hour,  during  which 
I  spoke  of  my  somewhat  mysterious  cabin- 
fellow,  Mr.  Godfrey  Pellew  ;  but  he  knew 
nothino-  of  him  ;  he  did  not  even  seem  conscious 
that  such  a  gentleman  was  aboard  ;  until  sud- 
denly starting  and  fetching  a  telescope  from 
the  skylight  and  levelling  it  he  exclaimed  that 
the  captain  was  coming  and  hurried  away. 


22  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  i 

The  name  of  the  master  of  the  ship  was 
Stagg  —  Captain  Stagg — a  man  whose  low 
stature  and  bow  legs  caused  him  to  present  a 
very  insignificant  figure  spite  of  the  careful 
manner  in  which  he  wrapped  himself  up  in  a 
cloth  frock  coat  decorated  with  brass  buttons, 
so  that  he  needed  but  a  tall  hat  to  resemble 
a  harbour  master  rather  than  a  blue  water 
mariner  ;  his  face  however  proclaimed  his  call- 
ing ;  his  countenance  was  scored  and  furrowed 
with  long  years  of  hard  weather  life,  and  you 
seemed  to  trace  the  word  "ocean"  scrawled  all 
over  it,  as  upon  the  trunk  of  a  tree  or  the  back 
of  an  old  seat  you  see  a  name  rudely  chiselled 
by  some  wanton  knife,  repeated  over  and  over 
again.  His  head  was  singularly  orbicular  in 
shape,  his  eyes  were  large  and  protruding,  of  a 
dull  and  watery  blue,  his  nose  was  twisted  to 
the  left  as  from  a  blow,  whilst  his  mouth  had  a 
decided  curl  to  the  right  as  from  perversity  :  and 
between  them  these  perfidious  features  com- 
municated to  his  countenance  an  expression  of 


I  MR.  GODFREY    PELLEW  23 

blunt     and    mirthful   good  -  nature,    which    was 
certainly  foreign  to  the  man's  character. 

He   arrived  on  the  poop,  pulling  off  his  cap 
with  many  grotesque  contortions  to  the   ladies 
and  gentlemen,  and  a  few  minutes  afterw^ards  a 
bell  on  the  quarter-deck  used  for  the  sea-chimes 
of  the  hours  was  violently  and  alarmingly  rung 
to   the  accompaniment  of  the  shouts   of  mates 
and     midshipmen    dispersed    about   the   decks 
ordering  those  who  were  not  sailing  to  India  to 
immediately  quit  the  ship.     From  the  sternmost 
extremity  of  the  vessel  I  watched  the  process  of 
getting  under  way  with   interest.      First  of  all 
the  windlass   was   manned  ;    a   voice  of  storm 
began  a  song,  the  burden  of  which  was  regularly 
taken  up  by  thirty  or  forty  hurricane  throats,  for 
in    those    days    ships  went    liberally    manned. 
Strange  was  the  effect  of  this  wild  sea  chorus  as 
one  listened   to    it  whilst  watching  those  who 
were  leaving  and   those  who   were  remaining, 
bidding  one  another  farewell.      The    poop  was 
quickly  thinned  ;  a  few  passengers  stood   at  the 


24  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  i 

rail  waving  handkerchiefs  and  kissing  hands  to 
their  friends  as  they  entered  the  boats  along- 
side ;  the  General  with  his  daughter  upon  his 
arm  stood  at  the  break  of  the  poop,  gazing  down 
upon  a  scene  of  tears  and  distress  upon  the 
quarter-deck  with  a  face  of  wood.  The  Httle 
captain,  with  his  pumpkin-shaped  head  and  pro- 
truding eyes,  as  dim  as  jelly-fish,  slided  athwart 
the  deck  on  his  rounded  shanks  with  the 
rhythmic  action  of  the  pendulum,  now  gazing 
aloft,  now  sending  a  look  forward  at  the  fore- 
castle, where  stood  the  mate  gazing  at  the  cable 
as  it  came  in  link  by  link,  now  directing  his 
glance  around  the  scene  of  bay  and  out  to  sea 
past  the  breakwater.  A  little  wind  was  blowing  ; 
it  blew  direct  from  Plymouth  town,  and  you 
heard  the  sounds  of  the  life  ashore  in  it,  the 
noise  of  bells  and  the  dim,  thread-like  hum  of 
distant  locomotion.  Weight  enough  was  in  the 
air  to  tremble  the  water  under  the  sun  into  a 
giant  surface  of  blinding  stars  and  diamonds, 
and,  September  as   the  month  was,  the   land — 


I  .         MR.  GODFREY   PELLEW  25 

the  beautiful  land  of  this  most  noble  bay — 
seemed  to  gather  to  itself  a  dye  of  tropic  soft- 
ness and  richness  from  the  sudden  brushing  of 
the  water  into  shuddering  splendour. 

Presently  a    number    of  figures   raced   aloft, 
orders    were     sharply    given    and    as    sharply 
re-echoed  ;    all  three   topsails  were   let   fall  at 
once,  and  the  white  cloths  flashed  to  the  lower 
vardarms    as   the    clews    were    swiftly    sheeted 
home  ;    the    hollow    clanking    of  the   windlass 
pawls  ceased  as  the  great  yards  mounted  shap- 
ing the  lustrous  canvas  into  symmetric  spaces 
and  clothing  the    lofty  fabric  with     the    grace 
of   white  and   spacious    wings.     A    little    later 
and  the  long  jibbooms    of  the  Light  of  Asia 
were    pointing    seawards,     with    the    windlass 
still    clanking,   the    hoarse   voices   of  men    still 
chorusing,  fold  after  fold  of  sail  falling  and  then 
rising,  passengers  along  the  line  of  the  bulwarks 
passionately    gesticulating    good  -  byes,   and     a 
crowd  of  boats  with  motioning  people  standing 
erect  in  them  slowly  settling  away  astern. 


II 

GENERAL  AND    MISS    PRIMROSE 

I  HAD  a  good  opportunity  on  this  first  day  of 
sailing  of  observing  the  numerous  company  who 
were  proceeding  to  India.  With  the  exception 
of  Mr.  Godfrey  Pellew,  I  beHeve  that  all  the 
passengers  assembled  at  the  luncheon  table  at 
one  o'clock  on  this,  my  first  day  at  all  events  of 
the  voyage,  at  which  hour  the  ship  was  well 
clear  of  the  Sound,  standing  for  the  central 
Channel  navigation  under  full  breasts  of  canvas 
from  truck  to  waterway  ;  her  decks,  an  extra- 
ordinarily busy  scene  of  sailors  coiling  away  the 
rigging  and  clearing  up,  and  of  soldiers  passing 
in  and  out  of  the  galley  with  smoking  kits  and 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  27 

Steaming  puddings  for  the  messes  of  the  three 
or  four  score  men  who  formed  the  ship's  cargo 
of  red-coats. 

The  water  was  wonderfully  smooth,  otherwise 
the  company  might  not  have  been  numerous. 
I  observed  the  glittering  swing  trays,  and  their 
scarcely  perceptible  oscillation  indicated  a 
movement  in  the  ship  that  could  be  trying  only 
to  the  imagination.  Surely  Mr.  Pellew,  who 
smoked  tobacco  in  his  cabin  and  talked  of  chicken 
and  champagne — something  light  in  short,  when 
trifles  lighter  than  air  are  as  heavy  as  thunder- 
bolts to  the  really  capsized  stomach — could  not 
be  so  seriously  inconvenienced  by  this  soft 
cradling  and  rhythmic  sliding  of  the  structure, 
in  whose  movements  you  felt  the  whole  life 
coming  into  her  out  of  her  milky  pinions,  as  to 
be  obliged  to  keep  his  cabin  !  I  ran  my  eye 
over  the  company.  It  was  an  omnium-gat herum 
— as  typical  a  mixture  of  human  beings  as  was 
ever  wafted  from  the  British  coast  to  remote 
parts.      Ten  or  twelve  military  men  :  a  parson  : 


28  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  li 

a  briQfade  suro^eon  :  a  naval  lieutenant :  a  beef- 
faced  merchant  captain  named  Whale,  the 
representative  of  a  firm  of  ship-owners,  sailing 
to  India  to  inquire  into  some  matter  of  collision. 
Needless  to  say  it  took  me  a  few  days  to  find 
out  these  people's  vocations.  There  were  some 
Civil  Service  young  gentlemen  ;  and  we  were 
"  largely  leavened  by  ladies,  from  Mrs.  Colonel 
Mowbray,  an  immensely  stout  woman,  whose 
high  Roman  nose  and  projecting  under  lip  made 
one  think  of  a  wall  drinking  fountain — spout 
and  cup  :  down — though  I  know  not  why  down 
— to  a  delicate  young  girl  whose  brilliant  eyes 
and  wax-like  fingers  too  surely  indicated  that 
her  embarkation  in  pursuit  of  health  was  all 
too  late. 

My  gaze  however  was  chiefly  attracted  by 
Miss  Primrose.  The  General  sat  on  the  right 
of  the  captain  at  the  athwartship  table  at  the 
after  end  of  the  saloon,  and  his  daughter's  seat 
was  next  him.  Sir  Charles  darted  searching 
looks  everywhere,  with  an   occasional  pause  of 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  29 

haughty  and  contemptuous  inspection  ;  but  his 
daughter  kept  her  eyes  downwards  bent.  She 
seldom  raised  them  I  observed  even  when 
replying  to  words  addressed  to  her  by  one  or 
two  ladies  who  sat  near.  She  lunched  in  her 
hat,  which  being  somewhat  large  and  richly 
plumed,  overshadowed  her  face,  sitting  as  she 
did  for  the  most  part  with  her  head  bowed  ;  yet 
enough  was  visible  of  her  countenance  to  render 
its  expression  of ,  melancholy  memorable  to  me 
even  though  my  sight  had  gone  to  her  then  for 
the  first  and  last  time.  Nor  was  it  melancholy 
only  :  there  was  something  of  fear  in  it  too,  and 
the  combined  effect  seemed  to  my  mind  to 
suggest  a  violent  heart-wrench,  the  brutality  of 
which  had  coloured  ancruish  with  the  hiofhest 
form  of  tragic  amazement. 

At  this  first  lunch -aboard  the  Light  of  Asia 
we  were  all  very  constrained,  truly  British  in 
our  cautious  regard  and  wary  approaches. 
Here  and  there  you  would  hear  a  voice  talk- 
ing   somewhat    loftily     and     drawllngly,     and 


30  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  ii 

occasionally  a  ''Yaas"  and  a  "Good  Ged " 
would  meet  the  ear,  and  there  was  a  frequent 
glitter  of  wine  glasses  raised  to  moustachioed 
lips ;  and  a  species  of  emotion  termed  by 
newspaper  reporters  ''  sensation  "  would  be 
noticeable  amongst  the  ladies  when  reference 
was  made  for  instance  to  the  Bay  of  Biscay 
and  to  the  weather  off  Agulhas.  I  eyed 
General  Primrose  with  some  respect,  for  he 
was  a  man  who  had  risen  by  merit  to  distinc- 
tion in  his  profession,  and  he  had  a  high 
character  for  courage  and  fortitude  and  adroit- 
ness in  passages  of  difficulty,  though  I  had 
also  heard  of  him  as  an  unpleasantly  severe 
disciplinarian  and  a  person  whose  popularity 
was  wholly  to  be  found  amongst  those  who 
had  never  been  in  any  sort  of  way  associated 
with  him.  What  was  his  motive,  I  remember 
speculating,  for  withdrawing  his  melancholy 
daughter  from  the  green  lands  and  pleasant 
climate  of  England,  to  hold  her  in  sight  under 
the   bloom-destroying  sun  of  India?      He  did 


11  GENERAL   AND    MISS   PRIMROSE  31 

not  look  to  be  a  gentleman  who  stood  in  need 
of  the  ministrations  of  a  daughter.  A  valet, 
a  man-servant,  always  standing  at  attention,  a 
passive  object  to  be  easily  sworn  at;  a  target 
for  a  half-Wellington  boot,  something  too  large 
to  be  missed  by  even  an  awkwardly  flung 
missile  :  this  methought  as  I  gazed  at  his  stern, 
haughty  and  forbidding  face,  with  its  eyes 
which  seemed  to  shower  impassioned  expletives 
at  every  glance,  was  the  species  of  attendant 
he  would  require — he  with  his  savagely  curled 
white  moustache  and  sullen  dye  of  cheek  which 
promptly  sent  the  mind  to  years  of  inflaming 
dishes,  and  to  a  liver  disorganized  by  pro- 
tracted periods  of  injudicious  hospitality.  Was 
he  taking  out  this  girl  to  India  to  get  her 
married  ?  Surely  her  gift  of  most  uncommon 
beauty  must  render  such  a  project  as  that  the 
easiest  of  all  achievable  things  in  England, 
providing  of  course  she  held  no  opinions  of 
her  own  on  the  subject.  And  these  specula- 
tions,  all  swiftly   entered  upon   and   dismissed 


32  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  II 

as  I  sat  on  this  first  day  at  sea  at  that  table, 
conducted  me  to  another  fancy  :  was  her  un- 
dissembled  expression  of  melancholy  due  to 
love  ?  Had  she  made  some  grave,  maidenly 
blunder — from  her  father's  point  of  view  I 
mean  ?  And  was  this  voyage  to  India,  and 
was  her  residence  in  that  country  to  be  the 
General's  corrective  for  an  untimely  or  an  ill- 
placed  sentiment  ? 

But  whilst  I  thus  sat  thinking,  exchanging 
now  and  again  somewhat  abstractedly  a  sen- 
tence with  the  surgeon  of  the  ship,  who  sat 
next  to  me,  the  bulkheads  on  either  hand 
slightly  creaked,  and  the  ship  leaned  to  a 
sudden  increase  of  wind  and  to  the  first  of  a 
'  long  light  heave  of  swell  rolling  to  the  quarter 
of  the  vessel  out  of  the  south-east.  In  fact  I 
supposed  we  had  now  opened  the  Channel  past 
Bolt  Head  and  the  respiration  of  the  wide 
breast  of  water  bevond  was  to  be  felt.  There 
was  some  staring  one  at  another  and  a  general 
pause  in  the  conversation  ;    but  the  ship  con- 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  33 

tinned  to  roll,  lightly  indeed,  yet  in  a  manner 
to  cause  one  to  look  at  one's  wine  glass  to 
see  what  was  to  become  of  it.  Then  one 
lady  stood  up,  then  another  ;  Mrs.  Colonel 
Mowbray  sailed  balloon-like  to  her  cabin  and 
in  a  few  moments  everybody  was  in  motion 
hastening  on  deck  or  withdrawing  to  his 
berth. 

Though  by  no  means  an  old  sailor — in 
those  days  my  age  was  eight-and-twenty  and 
I  had  rounded  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  twice 
in  my  passages  to  and  from  India — sea-sick- 
ness never  troubled  me.  My  cigar-case  was 
empty  and  I  went  to  my  cabin  to  fill  it  from 
my  portmanteau.  I  use  the  words  cabin  and 
berth  indifferently  ;  but  strictly  the  term  be7^th 
applies  to  a  sleeping  place  on  board  ship, 
whilst  cabin  sio^nifies  the  livino^  room.  As  I 
made  my  w^ay  to  my  berth  I  felt  very  sensibly 
the  inconvenience  of  sharing  it  with  another  ; 
or  perhaps  I  should  say  with  such  another  as 
Mr.    Pellew    threatened    to    be — a    man    who 

D 


34  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  il 

promised  to  be  incessantly  present  whenever 
I  made  my  visits,  and  who  must  therefore  rob 
my  half  of  the  sea-bedroom  of  all  charm  of 
privacy.  I  opened  the  door  and  found  him 
sitting  in  his  bunk  with  his  legs  over  the  edge 
smoking  a  cheroot.  A  tray  containing  the  re- 
mains of  his  luncheon  and  an  empty  bottle  of 
champagne  stood  on  the  deck.  His  posture 
now  fully  disclosed  him  ;  the  sunshine  lay 
strong  upon  the  sea  on  the  port  hand  of  the 
vessel  on  which  side  our  cabin  was  situated, 
and  the  sheen  flowing  off  the  rich  and  tremb- 
ling brilliancy  of  the  water  gushed  to  the  large 
open  port-hole  and  rendered  the  interior  as 
light  again  as  I  had  previously  found  it. 

I  stood  for  a  few  moments  staring  with  real 
wonder  and  admiration  at  the  surprising  beauty 
of  the  young  fellow's  face — but  a  beauty  as 
masculine  as  any  woman  could  wish  to  find 
in  the  graces  of  a  man — every  feature  virile 
in  its  very  essence.  He  smiled,  and  holding 
up  his   cigar  exclaimed,    ''  1   am  an  inveterate 


"MY    NAUSEA?"     HE   EXCLAIMED.       "  OH,    YES,    TOBACCO   IS   GOOD 
FOR  SEA-SICKNESS." 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  37 

smoker   and  hope   you   will   not   object  to  the 
smell  of  tobacco  smoke  in  this  cabin  ? " 

*'  Not  at  all.  I  too  am  a  hard  smoker."  I 
opened  my  portmanteau  and  took  out  a  box 
of  cigars.  ''  But  I  should  have  thought 
that  smoking  would  not  suit  your  com- 
plaint." 

'*  My  nausea  ? "  he  exclaimed  eyeing  me 
gravely  and  keenly.  "  Oh,  yes.  Tobacco  is 
o-ood  for  sea-sickness.  It  has  certain  tonical 
properties.  It  is  also  a  sort  of  narcotic,  they 
say.  Whatever  is  good  for  the  nerves  is 
good  for  nausea."  He  continued  to  coolly 
puff  at  his  weed,  meanwhile  observing  me 
with  a  narrowness  wholly  w^anting  in  offence 
though  it  made  me  very  sensible  of  its  curious 
quality  of  penetration. 

*'Pray,"  said  I  carelessly,  but  talking  with 
intention,  "  why  do  you  not  go  on  deck  and 
breathe  the  fresh  air  ?  Surely  for  sea-sickness 
there  is  a  virtue  in  fresh  air  which  must  be 
w^anting  even  in  tobacco." 


38  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  ii 

"  I  am  very  well  here,"  he  answered.  "  Did 
you  lunch  in  the  saloon  ?  " 

''  I  did." 

*'  Many  present  ? " 

''All,  I  should  say,  saving  yourself." 

"A  large  number  of  military  men,  no 
doubt  ? " 

*' Yes,  we  muster  fairly  strong.". 

"  In  fact,"  said  he,  "this  is  almost  a  troop 
ship.  The  fellow  who  waits  upon  me  here, 
talks  of  there  being  a  General  on  board." 

"So  there  is,"  said  I,  "  Major- General  Sir 
Charles  Primrose — a  big  gun  in  his  way — a 
whole  breast  of  medals  no  doubt,  and  with 
record  enough  to  furnish  him  with  a  page  or 
two  in  books  which  tell  you  who  people  with 
titles  are." 

"  Do  you  know  him  ?  "   he  asked  languidly. 

"  No,  but  I  shall  be  presently  making  his 
acquaintance  perhaps." 

"  I  dare  say  he  is  a  very  disagreeable 
person.      An    objectionable    old    East     Indian 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  39 

officer  surely  tops  the  list  of  people  one  ought 
to  dislike.  Such  airs !  such  prejudices !  such 
despotism  resulting  from  the  habit  of  com- 
manding not  only  black  troops,  but  black 
servants.  And  then,"  continued  he,  preserving 
his  languid  voice,  "  the  objectionable  old  East 
Indian  officer  has  a  trick  of  shoutino"  when  he 
converses.  He  will  bawl^<9^^  mornz?ig  to  you 
as  though  he  were  ordering  a  regiment  of 
Sepoys  to  charge.  I  believe  I  shall  remain 
very  much  out  of  sight.  It  is  miserable  to  be 
locked  up  with  unpleasant  people,"  he  added, 
talking  with  an  affectation  of  "  nerves "  and 
with  a  sleepy  droop  of  his  lids  which  only 
served  to  sharpen  the  clear  intelligent  gaze  of 
his  handsome  eyes. 

"  But  you  will  not  surely  w^iolly  live  in  this 
cabin  ? " 

**  No.  I'll  take  the  air  from  time  to  time, 
but  ril  probably  continue  to  eat  here.  There 
is  no  shipboard  law  I  presume  to  oblige  a 
passenger  to  take  his  meals  at  the  cabin  table  } 


40  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  ii 

Many  ladles  on  board  ?  "  continued  he,  speaking 
with  a  sHght  drawl. 

"A  baker's  dozen,  I  should  say — perhaps 
more." 

''  I  figure,"  said  he — "  a  Lady  Primrose,  a 
woman  rendered  as  objectionable  as  her  hus- 
band by  the  airs  and  graces  of  Indian  society." 

"  There  is  no  Lady  Primrose  :  at  least  there 
is  no  Lady  Primrose  in  this  ship.  There  is  a 
Miss  Primrose,  a  beautiful  and  interesting  girl. 
But  why  do  you  speak  of  the  General  as  ob- 
jectionable ?  I  have  not  called  him  so.  Have 
you  met  him  ? " 

He  slightly  yawned  and  answered  whilst  he 
relighted  his  cigar:  "Something  in  your 
reference  to  him  may  have  suggested  the  old 
gentleman  as  objectionable.  I  really  do  not 
know,  Captain  Swift,  and  I  may  honestly  add 
that  I  really  do  not  care." 

''  Well,"  said  I,  moving  towards  the  door,  "  I 
must  hope  to  be  able  to  coax  you  on  deck  later 
on. 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  41 

He  smiled  and  rose  out  of  his  bunk  to  take 
a    book    from    the   top  of   the    little    chest    of 
drawers  which  he  had  appropriated.      He  was 
even  taller  than   I   had  supposed  him  to  be,  a 
magnificent  figure  of  a  man,  and  as  he   stood 
for  a  moment  there  was  the  grace  of  a  reposing 
dancer  In  his  posture.      "  Well   now,"    thought 
I   as   I   walked  out,   "  who    the  dickens  Is  this 
noble    creature    I    should    like    to  know  ?    and 
what  Is  his  motive  In  going  to  India  ?  and  what 
can  be  his  object  In  Imprisoning   himself  In  a 
dark  cabin  ?     And  he  Is  to  be  7ny  berth  fellow 
too !     I  shall  find  out  something  about  him  by 
and  by  no  doubt.      Is  he  a  criminal  flying  from 
his    country  ?      A    forger  ?    a    homicide  ?     A 
mystery   there    certainly  Is.       He    is    no   more 
sea-sick  than  I  am  ;  he   no  more  objects  to  the 
society   of  old   East   India   officers   than   other 
people   do.     What    is    it    then  ? "      And    this 
question,  uttered  to  myself,  landed  me  on  the 
poop. 

The    scene   Into  which   I    rose    extinguished 


42  A  STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  ii 

all  thoughts  of  Mr.  Pellew.  The  after  part  of 
the  ship  was  comparatively  deserted,  many  of 
the  passengers  being  probably  too  upset  by  the 
movements  of  the  vessel  'to  show  themselves, 
whilst  others  were  busy  in  their  berths  with 
the  bestowal  of  the  clothes  and  conveniences 
they  had  brought  with  them.  The  breeze  had 
freshened,  and  the  countenance  of  the  wind- 
ward sky  had  undergone  one  of  those  swift 
changes  which  always  impress  me  as  a  sort  of 
miracle.  When  I  had  gone  below  to  lunch 
the  heavens  were  high  and  pure,  with  but  a 
film  of  cloud  here  and  there,  and  the  sun  in 
the  south  and  west  sparkled  in  the  September 
atmosphere  with  a  silver  mistiness.  And  now 
that  same  face  of  heaven  was  sullen  with  rigid 
cloud,  a  surface  of  corrugated  vapour  that  was 
already  streaming  past  our  mast-heads  and 
away  over  the  lee-bow,  with  the  sun  now  and 
again  flashing  a  single  beam  through  a  crevice 
and  smiting  some  frothing  head  of  sea  under 
it  into  a  dazzle  of  snow.     The  ship  was  swarm- 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  43 

Ing  along  magnificently,  some  of  her  lighter 
sails  on  high  blo\ying  out  like  bladders  in  the 
grip  of  their  gear,  with  the  figures  of  reefers 
aft  and  seamen  forward  trotting  up  the  wide 
spread  of  massive  black  shrouds  to  furl  the 
canvas  ;  her  round  bow  and  enormously  thick 
cutwater  stormed  through  the  hurl  of  the  surge, 
and  often  to  her  curtseyings  the  foam  was 
swept  ahead  of  her  to  the  distance  of  her 
flying  jibboom  end  when  it  would  come  rushing 
past  in  a  giddy  boiling  that  made  the  eye  which 
Avatched  it  spin  again. 

This  was,  indeed,  being  at  sea  !  We  had 
sunk  the  land — No  !  down  upon  the  quarter  in 
the  windy-haze  you  saw  the  phantasmal  loom  of 
the  English  coast,  but  so  ghost-like  was  it  that 
it  eluded  the  gaze  you  directed  that  way  ;  it 
revealed  itself  fitfully  and  was  gone  w^hen  you 
looked.  Yet  it  was  England  ;  the  last  glimpse 
maybe  we  were  to  obtain  of  the  old  home,  and 
my  spirits  sank  as  I  strained  my  eyes  into  the 
horizon. 


44  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  ii 

I  peered  through  the  glass  of  the  skyHght 
and  saw  Miss  Primrose  seated  at  the  table 
almost  directly  beneath.  An  open  book  lay 
before  her,  but  it  was  easy  to  guess  by  her 
slightly  averted  face  that  her  eyes  were  not 
fastened  upon  the  page.  She  had  removed 
her  hat,  and  I  could  now  see  that  she  added  to 
her  other  extraordinary  charms  an  amazing 
profusion,  a  wonderful  luxuriance  of  dark  gold 
hair — to  call  it  so,  though  it  would  puzzle  a 
greater  artist  in  words  than  I  to  communi- 
cate the  exquisite  hue  of  this  girl's  tresses. 
She  sat  motionless  as  though  in  a  profound 
reverie,  making  nothing  of  the  gathering 
uneasiness  of  the  ship's  movements  and  en- 
tirely heedless  of  those  who  passed  her. 
Indeed  in  the  brief  space  during  which  I 
watched  a  lady  paused  and  addressed  her, 
then  finding  herself  unanswered  moved  on 
with  a  smile. 

The  mate  standing  at  the  rail  which  pro- 
tected   the    overhanging    ledge    of    the    poop- 


II 


GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE 


45 


deck  was    sendiiiQf    orders    in    a  bull-like   note 
aloft   and    forward,    and   the    ship  was    full  of 


SHE  SAT   MOTIONLESS   AS   THOUGH   IX   A   PROFOUND   REVERIE. 


hurry.       Indeed    the    weather    was    hardening 
into  what  promised  to  be  half  a  gale  of  wind, 


46  A   STRANGE  'ELOPEMENT  ii 

and  I  stood  watching;  with  interest  the  com- 
plicated business  of  shortening  sail.  Many  of 
the  poor  Tommies  were  already  hopelessly 
sea-sick,  leaning  over  the  bulwark-rail,  and  a 
few  of  them  lay  like  logs  in  the  lee  scuppers, 
rolling  a  little  way  to  the  left  and  then  a  little 
way  to  the  right  with  the  heave  of  the  deck. 
Some  who  were  more  seasoned  dragged  with 
the  sailors  at  the  ropes,  and  their  uniforms  com- 
bining with  the  varied  apparel  of  the  Jacks 
made  so  commonplace  a  shipboard  matter  as 
that  of  manning  the  topsail  halliards  quite  a 
picturesque  affair.  But  happily  the  wind  blew 
from  a  quarter  to  quickly  thunder  us  out  of  the 
Channel,  and  by  five  o'clock  the  ship  with  a 
reef  in  each  topsail  w^as  thrashing  at  some  ten 
or  eleven  miles  in  the  hour  through  the 
swelling  waters,  flinging  the  spray  aft  as  far  as 
the  gangway  with  a  frequent  large  soft  cloud 
of  spume  blowing  like  a  burst  of  steam  off 
her  bow,  a  couple  of  men  at  the  wheel,  a 
long  race  of  boiling  wake  astern  of  her,  and  a 


II  GENERAL   AND    MISS    PRIMROSE  47 

rigging  vocal  with  orchestral  notes  that  rose 
at  times  into  triumphal  bursts  amid  which 
the  fanciful  ear  might  catch  the  clear  bugling 
of  some  wild  ocean  melody. 


Ill 

MY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW 

From  this  hour  I  date  a  long  term  of 
stormy  weather.  In  fact  for  several  days  the 
decks  were  unvisitable  ;  the  rain  swept  in 
sheets  past  the  masts  ;  the  scuppers  sobbed 
in  the  incessant  downpour,  and  the  wet  gale 
blew  with  an  edge  of  ice  in  it.  Most  of  the 
passengers  kept  their  cabins.  Sir  Charles  was 
amongst  those  who  were  prostrated,  and  of 
his  daughter  I  saw  nothing.  Often  not  more 
than  six  or  eight  of  us  assembled  at  meal 
times.  Mr.  Pellew  remained  below  with  the 
others  who  were  sea-sick  ;  yet  he  certainly 
did  not  suffer.      He  ate   well,   was    constantly 


Ill  I\IY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIX-FELLOW  49 

smoking,  emptied  his  bottle  of  champagne 
with  rehsh,  and  was  sufficiently  easy  to  be 
able  to  sprawl  upon  his  back  in  his  bunk  and 
to  read  novels  of  which  he  had  a  heap  that 
stood  in  a  corner  of  the  berth.  He  would 
ask  me  in  a  voice  of  indifference  what  was 
going  forward  on  deck,  but  no  more  was 
exchanged  between  us  than  common  civility 
exacted. 

I  liked  the  confinement  of  my  berth  so  little 
that  after  I  quitted  it  of  a  morning  my  visits  to 
It  were  very  few^  and  far  between  ;  and  com- 
monly when  I  turned  in  of  a  night,  my  friend 
under  me — for  as  you  know  I  occupied  the  top 
bunk — was  either  asleep  or  hinting  by  keeping 
his  eyes  closed  that  he  did  not  wish  to  con- 
verse. While  such  weather  as  w^e  were  now 
having  continued  It  was  not  very  likely  that 
inquiries  would  be  made  about  my  secret  and 
mysterious  cabin  passenger  ;  his  representa- 
tions of  sea-sickness  which  would  filter  through 
the  steward  who  waited  upon  him   to  the  ears 


50  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  III 

of  the  captain,  mates  and  passengers  were 
entirely  reasonable  and  credible.  But  how 
would  it  be  later  on,  when  the  Madeira 
parallels,  say,  gave  us  bright  skies,  and  when 
everybody  must  be  supposed  cured  of  his 
nausea  ?  Yet  after  all  what  more  could  follow 
than  general  astonishment  at  so  extraordinary 
a  whim— conjectures  which  would  presently 
exhaust  themselves,  and  a  vast  amount  of 
throbbing  curiosity  amongst  the  women,  par- 
ticularly if  they  should  gather  that  he  was  the 
handsome  man  and  noble  and  commanding 
figure  I  found  him  ?  What  could  the  captain 
do  ?  Mr.  Pellew  had  paid  for  his  share  of  his 
berth  and  had  a  right  to  live  in  it,  and  though 
to  be  sure  the  Commander  with  some  idea 
of  rooting  the  young  fellow  out  of  his  cell 
might  insist  that  the  privileges  of  a  bedroom 
did  not  comprise  those  of  a  parlour,  it  was 
not  to  be  imagined  that  he  would  trouble 
himself  over  the  behaviour  of  a  man  whom 
he     and    his    officers    would     straightway     set 


Ill  MY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  51 

down  as  half-witted,  or  In  the  highest  degree 
eccentric. 

I  have  said  that  during  these  days  of  storm 
my  cabin-fellow  and   I    found   little  to  say   to 
each  other  outside  a  few  civil  commonplaces. 
At   the   same   time   I    could   not   help  noticing 
that  he  watched  me  with  the  air  of  a  man  bent 
upon  solving  a  problem  of  human  character  by 
the  interpretation  of  aspect  without  reference 
to  speech.      His  gaze  was  keen  and  vivid  ;   I 
had  never  encountered  looks  more  penetrating. 
Possibly  I  may  have  imagined  his  silent  scrutiny 
a  shrewder  inquest  than  it  really  was,  because 
of  my  powerlessness  to  fathom  his  motive   for 
giving     himself    this    trouble    with    a    perfect 
stranger.      I   cannot   feign  that  there  was  any 
charm  in  my  face  to  merit  a  degree  of  attention 
that  was  sometimes  almost  impassioned    despite 
its    furtiveness.      My  character  was  common- 
place ;    I    was    an    off-hand,     careless    young 
soldier,   by    no    means    burdened    with   brains, 
and    certainly    to    him    I    must    have    seemed 

E    2 


52  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  III 

perfectly    colourless    in    intellect,   and    entirely 
insipid. 

Sometimes  I  fancied  that  he  was  meditating 
an  avowal,  though  by  this  time  I  had  wholly 
absolved  him  from  the  several  black  crimes  my 
early  imagination  had  charged  him  with.  He 
had  not  the  look  of  a  man  with  a  dark  secret. 
There  was  a  high-born  freedom  in  his  face  that 
was  like  nature's  own  resentment  of  a  doubt  of 
his  honour,  of  his  character,  of  his  career.  If 
he  meant  then  to  take  me  into  his  confidence, 
what  had  he  to  impart  ?  Once  a  dim  suspicion 
crossed  my  mind — vaguely  and  most  illogically 
I  seemed  to  connect  his  perplexing  self-immure- 
ment with  the  melancholy  and  beautiful  girl 
whom  I  had  not  seen  since  I  stood  viewing  her 
through  the  cabin  sky-light.  Why  ?  I  cannot 
tell,  unless  it  was  because  of  his  manner  of 
dwelling  with  a  kind  of  careless  disgust  upon 
the  name  of  Sir  Charles  Primrose.  But  the 
light  suspicion,  or  imagination  rather,  vanished 
in  me  as  soon  as  it  was  formed. 


Ill  MY   MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-P^ELLOW  53 

The  weather  moderated  on  the  morning  of 
the  fifth  day,  and  when  I  went  on  deck  after 
breakfast,  I  found  the  sun  shining  amongst 
huge  and  swehing  bodies  of  fleecy  vapour, 
which  as  their  brows  smote  the  luminary, 
caught  a  glory  that  seemed  intenser  than  that 
of  the  orb  himself,  whilst  there  would  flash 
from  the  stately  sailing  masses  many  fan-shaped 
radiations  of  blinding  brilliance  ;  the  sea  of  a 
deep  blue  was  still  running  high,  and  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  the  ocean  was  a  rising  and  fall- 
ing surface  of  violet  surge  and  frothing  heads. 
It  still  blew  a  fresh  breeze,  but  the  wind  was 
almost  directly  aft,  sail  had  been  made  and  the 
ship  was  going  along  on  a  level  keel,  soaring 
and  sinking  with  the  majesty  of  an  old  line-of- 
battle  ship,  with  a  regularity  that  rendered 
walking  easy. 

A  number  of  the  passengers  arrived  ;  soldiers 
were  sunning  themselves  forward,  and  the 
decks  were  hospitable  with  colour  and  life. 
Amongst  those  v/ho  came  on   the  poop  after 


54  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iii 

breakfast — though  the  lady  had  not  been  pres- 
ent at  the  table  —  were  Sir  Charles  and  his 
daughter.  He  looked  somewhat  haggard  from 
confinement  and  sickness,  but  his  face  I  thought 
had  an  unpleasantly  hard  expression  ;  there 
was  something  frowning  and  even  threatening 
in  his  eyes  which  he  darted  here  and  there,  re- 
turning haughty  distant  bows  to  the  salutation 
of  the  captain  and  others  as  he  tucked  his 
daughter's  hand  under  his  arm  and  fell  to 
patrolling  the  deck  with  her.  I  could  not 
gather  that  they  conversed.  She  appeared  to 
look  at  nothing  but  the  planks  on  which  she 
trod. 

Old  Captain  Whale,  the  shipowner's  repre- 
sentative whom  I  have  previously  mentioned, 
was  leaning  with  me  against  the  rail  when  they 
arrived. 

*' A  stern-looking  old  gentleman  !  "  said  he  to 
me  ;  "  I  shouldn't  like  to  be  one  of  his  soldiers. 
How  many  black  chaps  I  wonder  has  he  blown 
from  the  mouths  of  cannons  ?     I   know  you  to 


HE   TUCKED   HIS   DAUGHTER  S    HAND    UNDER    HIS    ARM   AND    FELL 
TO   PATROLLING   THE   DECK    WITH    HER. 


Ill  MY   MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  57 

be  of   his    profession,    sir.     You'll  excuse   my 
freedom." 

"It  is  the  traditional  privilege  of  sailors  to 
dislike  soldiers,"  said  I,  laughing. 

''  Well,  ^^ere  you're  right,"  he  exclaimed  with 
a  broad  grin.  "  Not  but  that  a  soldier  may 
not  be  a  very  good  sort  of  man  too,  but  where 
for  instance  would  you  find  even  an  Admiral 
who  had  covered  himself  with  glory,  annihilated 
a  fleet,  occasioned  what  the  newspapers  would 
call  a  new  geographical  distribution,  saved  the 
throne,  and  lowered  the  income-tax,  give  him- 
self the  airs  of  that  old  gentleman  yonder  ?  His 
daughter  don't  look  a  very  happy  woman,  does 
she  ?  His  cabin's  next  to  mine  and  I  heard 
him  rating  her  this  morning." 

''  Rating  her.     What  did  you  hear  ?" 

''  I  wouldn't  hear.  I  didn't  choose  to 
hear.  The  fact  is,  sir,  I  had  no  r?^/^/  to 
hear.  But  the  tone  of  his  voice — it  w^as  like 
listening  to  a  wrangling  bo'sun  through  a 
bulkhead." 


58  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  III 

*'  How  do  you  know  that  he  was  addressing 
her  ?  " 

''Why,"  said  he,  "as  I  entered  my  cabin 
she  entered  his.  Tell  you  what,"  said  he 
sinking  his  voice,  "  there's  a  love  yarn  in 
that  job.  That  old  gentleman's  been  and 
broken  his  daughter's  heart.  Look  at  her 
face,    sir." 

He  wagged  his  purple  countenance,  fetched 
a  sigh  which  for  depth  and  intensity  might 
have  followed  a  long  and  thirsty  pull  at  a  bowl 
of  punch,  and  stepped  down  on  to  the  quarter 
deck. 

I  lingered  a  while  covertly  watching  the 
General  and  his  daughter,  and  then  went  to 
my  cabin  for  a  pipe  and  a  pouch  of  tobacco. 
Mr.  Pellew  was  seated  in  my  bunk  with  his 
legs  dangling  over  the  edge  of  it,  and,  as  I 
entered,  was  intent  upon  what  I  thought  to 
be  a  coloured  picture  until  a  step  took  me  close 
enough  to  see  that  it  was  a  map.  He  begged 
my  pardon  for  using  my  bunk,  said  that  he  was 


Ill  MY   MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  59 

unable  to  see  In  his  own  bedstead,  and  then 
asked  ine  in  an  easy  off-hand  way  if  1  under- 
stood navigation. 

"  No,"  I  responded,  "  I  have  no  knowledge 
whatever  of  it." 

"  I  believe,"  said  he,  bending  his  eyes  upon 
the  map,  "  that  the  marks  which  sailors  make 
upon  their  charts  to  signify  the  course  their 
ships  have  sailed  along  are  called  'prickings.'" 

''  I  cannot  tell  you." 

"  Here  is  a  little  map  that  I  have  been  prick- 
ing," said  he.  *'  Have  you  any  idea  of  our 
whereabouts  to-day  ?  " 

*'  No,"  said  I,  ''but  I  recollect  that  our  lati- 
tude yesterday  was  so  and  so,  and  as  our  course 
is  about  west-south-west  and  our  average  speed 
since  then  will  have  been  so  and  so,  our  latitude 
this  morning — or  say  our  latitude  at  noon  to- 
day should  be — "  I  calculated  and  then  named 
a  figure. 

"You  are  not  so  ignorant  as  you  pretend." 

"  As  knowing  as  the  average  schoolboy,"  said 


6o  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  III 

I  with  a  shrug  and  a  laugh  and  approaching  the 
bunk  to  take  my  pipe  from  a  shelf. 

"  Then  my  ^  prickings  '  will  be  pretty  nearly 
right,"  he  exclaimed,  handing  me  the  map  that 
was  a  very  clean  tracing  of  the  two  Atlantics 
from  the  mouth  of  the  British  Channel  to  a  few 
degrees  south  of  Agulhas. 

I  glanced  at  the  pencil  marks  upon  it  and 
exclaimed  "  Yes.  That  will  be  about  the 
situation  of  our  ship  at  noon  to-day  I  should 
think." 

**  You  have  made  this  voyage  before  ?"  said 
he,  taking  the  map  from  me  and  looking  at  it 
whilst  he  spoke. 

"  Once  only,"  said  I. 

"  What  land  do  we  sight,  can  you  tell  me  ?  " 

*'  I  do  not  remember  that  we  sighted  land 
until  we  came  to  a  halt  in  Simon's  Bay,  which, 
as  you  may  know,  is  close  to  Cape  Town." 

"No  land  at  all  !  I  had  no  notion  an  Indian 
voyage  was  all  water.  Yet,",  continued  he  keep- 
ing his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  map  and  speaking 


Ill  MY   MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  6i 

with  the  air  of  one  who  talks  only  for  the  sake 
of  talking — and  this  was  the  first  time  that  I 
had  noticed  any  such  sociability  in  him — "  the 
navigation  to  the  Cape  should  occasionally  bring 
the  land  tolerably  close." 

"  Quite  the  contrary,"  said  I.  ''  I  cannot  tell 
you  where  the  equated*  is  crossed  ;  but  I  know 
that  it  is  cut  by  these  sailing  keels  deep  In  the 
heart  of  the  Atlantic.  Then,  I  believe,  a  course 
Is  made  to  bring  the  island  of  Trinidad  off  the 
starboard  bow,  after  w^hich  the  helm  is  shifted 
for  the  transverse  stretch  that  brings  the  south- 
east trade  wind  w^hlstllng  to  the  edge  of  the 
sharply  braced-up  sails." 

"You  are  at  no  loss  for  sea  terms,"  said  he, 
speaking  as  though  his  thoughts  were  elsewhere 
whilst  his  eyes  continued  to  muse  upon  the 
map  ;  then  abruptly  folding  and  pocketing  the 
coloured  sheet,  he  exclaimed,  ''  Shipwreck  must 
surely  be  a  desperate  business  in  a  voyage  of 
this  sort.  Figure  the  vessel  foundering  some- 
where  in  the   neighbourhood   of   the  equator ! 


62  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  III 

Saving  a  little  rock  marked  St.  Paul  there  is  no 
land  for  hundreds  of  miles  for  the  boat  to  make 
for." 

''  One's  best  chance  must  lie  in  being  picked 
up,"  said  I. 

"Ay,"  he  exclaimed  with  a  nod,  "  I  suppose 
that  is  so ;  perhaps  the  07ily  chance  ;  and  a 
pretty  sure  one,  don't  you  think  ?  There  is 
no  ocean  so  crowded  with  shipping  as  the 
Atlantic." 

"  Pretty  sure  or  not,"  I  exclaimed,  ''  I  hope 
we  may  not  come  to  it.  My  two  pet  night- 
mares are,  fire  ashore  and  an  open  boat  at 
sea. 

He  made  no  answer. 

I  was  astonished  that  he  should  choose  to 
confine  himself  to  this  cabin.  His  motive  was 
absolutely  unconjecturable.  It  was  ridiculous 
in  him  to  feign  dislike  of  the  passengers.  He 
had  boarded  the  ship  In  the  docks,  and  had,  as 
I  might  take  it,  never  set  eyes  upon  a  single 
being  in  the  ship  saving  the  man  who  waited 


Ill  MY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  63 

Upon  him.  Such  a  foregone  conckision  of  dls- 
Hke  or  apprehension  as  his  behaviour  suggested 
was  not  to  be  entertained.  I  wondered  that  he 
was  not  to  be  coaxed  from  his  berth  by  the 
Httle  picture  of  ocean  splendour  that  the  port- 
hole framed — a  miniature  that  was  warrant 
enough  of  the  glory  of  the  wide  canvas  without ; 
for  through  the  thick  but  clear  glass  the  blue, 
glittering  and  foaming  heights  of  brine  showed 
clearly  with  clouds  of  prismatic  spray  swept  off 
them  by  the  rush  of  the  clear  gale,  whilst  to  the 
roll  of  the  ship  the  noble  ocean  sky  of  flying 
white  vapours  came  and  went,  putting  by  its 
coming  and  going  a  deep  and  a  wild  vitality 
into  that  free,  radiant  and  windy  morning. 

I  quitted  the  cabin  leisurely,  conceiving  from 
a  sudden  inquiring  look  he  fastened  upon  me 
that  he  had  some  question  to  ask,  but  the 
expression  of  his  face  was  swiftly  chased  away 
by  another,  and  finding  him  mute  I  left  him. 

Shortly  after  twelve  that  day  the  wind  mode- 
rated, the  sea  subsided,  studding  sails  were  run 


64  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  I" 

aloft,  and  the  ship  floated  in  beauty  and  tran- 
quIlHty  through  as  fair  an  afternoon  as  ever 
waned  over  the  sea  ;  the-  soft  brimming  run  of 
the  surge  to  her  quarter,  was  as  a  caressful  help 
to  her  progress,  and  her  three  stately  spires 
swayed  with  a  regularity  as  rhythmic  as  though 
they  were  keeping  time  to  some  solemn  music 
audible  only  at  the  mastheads.  The  poop  was 
filled  with  passengers ;  the  temperature  was 
delightful  ;  the  ladies  sat  here  and  there  in 
chairs  reading  or  sewing  ;  some  of  the  younger 
fellows  amongst  us  hung  about  them,  and  the 
''Yaases/'  "By  Geds,"  and  ''By  George's" 
were  doubly  plentiful  under  the  inspiriting 
influence  of  the  agreeable  weather.  Sir  Charles 
and  Colonel  Mowbray  paced  the  deck  together, 
and  so  far  as  I  could  gather  their  talk  seemed 
to  chiefly  concern  soldiers'  rations. 

I  missed  Miss  Primrose  till  on  havlnof  occa- 
sion  to  enter  the  saloon  I  saw  her  seated  at  the 
extreme  end  of  it  on  a  little  sofa  near  the  piano, 
with  an  open  book  on  her  lap,  over  which  her 


Ill  MV    MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  65 

beautiful  face  drooped  as  though  she  slept.  I 
would  have  given  much  for  an  excuse  to  address 
her  ;  but  no  excuse  could  have  been  permissible 
in  the  face  of  her  manifest  desire  to  be  alone. 
Once  again  the  idea  that  had  before  occurred  to 
me  half  formed  itself  in  my  mind,  spite  of  its 
having  then  been  a  conjecture  that  had  scarcely 
entered  my  head  before  it  was  dismissed  as 
ridiculous.  Was  that  melancholv  and  beautiful 
girl  yonder  the  answer  to  the  conundrum  sub- 
mitted by  Mr.  Pellew's  behaviour  ?  I  could 
only  mentally  shrug  my  shoulders,  so  to  speak, 
in  response  to  this  suspicion.  What  was  it  all 
to  me  ?  Be  the  affair  what  it  might  it  was  none 
of  mine.  Indeed  but  for  my  being  Mr.  Pellew's 
cabin  associate,  I  should  never  have  wasted  an 
instant's  thought  in  speculating  about  him. 

A  fine  night  followed  the  lovely  afternoon 
that  had  shone  over  us  ;  a  night  of  cloudless 
sky  rich  with  trembling  stars  more  thickly 
strewn  than  ever  I  had  beheld,  and  many  of 
them  shininof  in  orreens  and  reds,  and  of  an  icv 

F 


66  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iii 

whiteness  of  light  that  made  one  think  of  a  sphn- 
tered  diamond,  each  fragment  preserving  the  dye 
its  facet  had  sparkled  with  before  the  gem  was 
shattered.  There  was  a  young  moon  in  the  west, 
but  without  power.  The  sea  flowed  in  dark  and 
foamless  lines,  and  the  light  breeze  had  just 
enouo-h  of  weight  to  hold  every  sail  motionless. 
I  sat  somewhat  late  at  the  dinner  table  that 
evening  talking  with  a  young  officer  with  whose 
family  I  was  slightly  acquainted.  It  was  about 
half-past  seven  when  I  stepped  out  of  the  saloon 
into  a  recess  formed  by  the  cabin  front  and  the 
bulkhead  of  a  projecting  cabin  on  either  side, 
and  lighted  a  cigar,  for  we  made  a  kind  of 
smokine  room  of  this  recess,  and  here  a  few  of 
us  would  muster  after  meals,  pipe  or  cigar  in 
mouth,  and  chat  away  an  hour  or  so.  The 
time  was  what  is  termed  at  sea  the  second  dog- 
watch, when  if  the  weather  be  fine  and  the  ship 
•deman^ds  litde  or  no  attention  the  crew  are  at 
liberty  to  amuse  themselves.  They  were  doing 
so  now  ;  out  of  the  gloom   that   shrouded  the 


Ill  MY   MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  67 

forecastle  came  the  strains  of  a  concertina 
accompanying  the  manly  notes  of  a  seaman 
singing.  The  song  was  "  Tom  Bowling,"  and 
the  sailor's  clear  and  powerful  voice  fell  back 
again  upon  the  deck  in  a  soft  echo  out  of  the 
stirless  concavities  of  the  sails.  Here  and  there 
stood  or  lounged  a  group  of  the  dusky  figures 
of  soldiers  talking  in  subdued  accents,  with  an 
occasional  flash  of  a  lucifer  match  lighting  up 
some  whiskered  face  for  a  minute  as  it  sucked 
at  a  pipe,  and  glancing  a  faint  illumination  upon 
the  adjacent  fellows,  so  that  It  was  like  peering 
into  a  camera-obscura. 

Colonel  Mowbray  joined  us,  a  gentleman 
whose  propensity  to  argue  speedily  rendered 
him  a  bore,  and  I  quitted  the  little  group  to 
stroll  forward,  with  a  notion  of  obtaining  a 
better  hearing  of  the  music  and  of  overhearing 
the  conversation  and  jokes  of  the  Jacks.  As  I 
advanced,  stepping  along  the  deck  on  the  lee 
side,  I  noticed  a  couple  of  figures  standing 
against  the  galley  or  ship's  kitchen,  where  their 

F  2 


68  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iii 

forms  were  so  mingled  with  the  deeper  shade 
of  darkness  cast  by  the  deck  erection  as 
to  be  indistino^uishable  at  a  Httle  distance. 
I  supposed  them  to  be  a  couple  of  soldiers — 
indeed  I  scarcely  glanced  at  them — and  was 
pressing  yet  a  little  nearer  to  the  forecastle  front 
w^hen  I  heard  my  name  uttered.  I  stopped 
and  peered,  and  now  being  very  close  to  the 
two  men  I  made  out  that  one  of  them,  standing 
over  six  feet  high,  was  swathed  in  a  cloak  of  true 
melodramatic  build,  the  collar  upturned,  whilst  a 
large  black  wide-awake  drawn  low  over  his  fore- 
head disclosed  the  merest  glimmer  of  his  face. 
The  man  at  his  side  was  a  seaman,  who,  on  my 
pausing,  passed  round  to  the  other  side  of  the 
deck  by  way  of  the  long-boat  and  disappeared. 

This  tall,  becloaked,  obscure  figure  could  be 
nobody  else  than  my  cabin-fellow,  Mn  Godfrey 
Pellew. 

*'  I  am  glad  to  see  you  on  deck,"  said  I, 
''  your  long  confinement  must  certainly  end  in 
punishing  you." 


Ill  .AIY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  69 

"  Why,  no  ;  "  he  exclaimed,  speaking  in  a 
somewhat  muffled  voice,  as  though  lifting  his 
lips  above  the  edge  of  a  shawl  about  his  neck 
to  articulate  ;  "  I  have  merely  to  open  the  port 
to  get  all  the  air  I  require.  How  finely  that 
fellow  sings.  I  know  no  melody  that  har- 
monizes so  perfectly  wuth  the  thoughts  which 
come  to  one  out  of  old  ocean — when  one  is 
upon  it — as  '  Tom  Bowling.'  There  is  some- 
thino-  in  the  tune  that  makes  a  man  feel  he 
ouorht  to  be  a  sailor.*' 

He  paused,  and  I  waited,  not  doubting  he 
would  make  some  apologetic  reference  to  his 
stranore  theatrical  ofarb.  But  nothinsf  of  the 
sort  left  his  lips.  He  proceeded  to  talk  of  the 
beautv  of  the  niQ;ht,  of  the  cloudlike  faintness 
of  the  sails  sweeping  through  the  liquid  dusk, 
in  a  manner  and  in  a  voice  as  thouo^h  he  was 
absolutely  insensible  to  the  oddity  of  his 
appearance  and  to  the  notions  which  his 
mysterious  behaviour  must  excite.  Piqued  by 
his  cool  unconcern  I  could  not  help  saying  : 


70  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  in 

"Why  not  join  us  aft,  Mr.  Pellew  ?  You 
will  find  some  of  the  men  very  good  fellows. 
They  are  not  all  General   Primroses." 

''  But  why  are  you  not  aft,  Captain  Swift  ? " 
he  rejoined,  and  I  knew  that  he  was  smiling  by 
the  tone  of  his  voice. 

"  I  came  forward  to  listen  to  the  fellow 
singing." 

"  Own  that  you  were  bored." 

This  was  so  pat  that  I  could  find  no  better 
answer  to  it  than  a  laugh. 

''The  lonor  ^x\A  short  of  it  is,"  he  ex- 
claimed  abruptly  and  with  energy,  "I  do  not 
choose  to  mingle  with  the  cabin  passengers. 
All  the  society  I  may  happen  to  require  I  shall 
be  able  to  find  in  the  forward  part  of  the  ship." 
He  added  with  a  note  of  haughtiness,  "  I  trust 
that  my  taste  or  desires  are  sufficient  to 
satisfy  you  as  reasons  for  my  choosing  to  hold 
aloof." 

I  was  about  to  answer,  when  the  figure  of 
a   man   who,    as    Mr.    Pellew  spoke,  had  been 


Ill  MY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  71 

approaching  us  from  the  direction  of  the  poop, 
came  to  a  halt  immediately  abreast  of  us  with 
a  suggestion  of  surprise  in  his  manner  of  stop- 
ping. It  was  the  chief  mate,  Mr.  Freeman. 
He  peered  close  Into  my  face  and  exclaimed, 
''  Oh,  It  is  you,  Captain  Swift,"  and  immedi- 
ately added,  "  Pray,  who  is  your  friend  ?  I  be- 
lieve I  have  not  before  met  the  gentleman." 

"  I  am  Mr.  Godfrey  Pellew,"  exclaimed  my 
tall  companion.      "  And  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  Mr.  Freeman,  chief  officer  of  the 
Light  of  Asia^  sir,"  rejoined  the  other  In  a 
rough  sea  voice  of  dignity  and  irritation.  He 
seemed  to  reflect,  then  added  In  a  changed 
tone,  "  I  must  apologize  to  you,  sir.  You  are, 
of  course,  a  cabin  passenger  ?  I  did  not 
instantly  recollect  the  name." 

"  Mr.  Pellew  and  I  share  a  berth  between 
us,"  said  I. 

The  dusky  hand  of  the  mate  rose  to  the 
peak  of  his  cap.  "  I  truly  beg  your  pardon," 
he  began. 


72  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  ill 

"  No  need  whatever,"  interrupted  Mr.  Pellew, 
in  a    voice   whose  note  of  hio^h    breedinsf  was 

o  o 

sweetened  by  the  cordiaHty  he  infused  into  it. 
''  Not  having  before  seen  me  why  should  not 
you  have  imagined  me  a  stowaway  ?  The 
fact  is,  Mr.  Freeman,  I  have  kept  my  cabin 
partly  because  I  have  been  sea-sick,  and  partly 
because  I  have  no  desire  to  join  the  company 
in  the  saloon.  My  amiable  fellow-passenger, 
Captain  Swift,  is  astonished  that  I  should  not 
haunt  the  decks  as  the  rest  do,  and  no  doubt  con- 
siders me  in  consequence  as  decidedly  wanting^ 

''  No,  no,"  said  I. 

"  But  surely,  Mr.  Freeman,"  he  continued, 
''passengers  are  privileged  to  keep  their  cabins 
if  theychoose  ? " 

*'  Certainly,"  exclaimed  the  mate. 

"There  is  nothing  in  the  Shipping  Acts,  I 
believe,  to  compel  a  passenger  to  eat  at  the 
saloon  table  ?  " 

*'  Not  a  syllable,"  replied  the  mate  with  a 
laugh. 


Ill  MY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIX-FELLOW  73 

*'  And,"  continued  ]\Ir.  Pellew,  ''  though  I 
know  the  master  of  a  ship  is  Invested,  and 
very  properly  Invested,  by  the  law  with  the 
most  absolute,  the  most  despotic  powers,  he 
cannot,  even  if  he  would,  compel  a  passenger 
to  mix  with  his  fellows." 

''  A  passenger  has  the  right  to  do  what  he 
likes,  sir,"  answered  the  mate,  "  subject  of 
course  to  the  rules  which  provide  for  the  safety 
of  a  ship  and  for  the  security  of  the  lives  of 
the  people  on  board  of  her."' 

'•  There  is  no  menace  to  a  vessel's  safety  in 
a  passenger  keeping  his  berth,"  said  ]\Ir.  Pellew. 

"  None  whatever,"  answered  ^Ir.  Freeman 
heartily.  "  But  still,  sir,  you  know,  as  a 
matter  of  health — and  then  a^rain  the  Vovaee 
to  India  is  a  long  one,  and  dull  enough,  heaven 
knows,  even  at  its  liveliest." 

''  But   how  much  duller  may   it    be    made," 
exclaimed    ^Ir.     Pellew.     "  bv    the     socIetY    of 
insipid    or  stupid  or  argumentative  or  quarrel- 
some people  ?  ' 


74  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  iii 

The  mate  could  not  stay  to  converse  ;  he 
saluted  again  with  another  polite  flourish  of  his 
hand  to  his  cap,  and  disappeared  in  the 
obscurity  forward  on  the  errand  that  had 
brought  him  from  the  poop. 

Through  the  illuminated  windows  of  the 
cuddy  front  we  could  witness  dimly  the  shapes 
of  people  seated  or  in  motion  ;  but  we  stood, 
too  far  forward  to  discern  faces.  The 
brightness  of  those  windows  rendered  pro- 
founder  by  contrast  the  gloom  of  the  deck 
overhead,  and  I  could  only  tell  that  there  were 
jDeople  up  there  approaching  the  rail  and  then 
marching  aft  again  in  the  regular  sea  patrol  by 
hearing  their  voices  coming  and  going.  Eight- 
bells  were  struck  ;  the  clear  chimes  swept  past 
the  ear  and  died  out  in  faint  music  upon  the 
starry  distance  over  the  side  ;  the  strains  of  the 
concertina  ceased,  there  was  the  bustle  of  a 
change  of  watch,  of  a  man  going  aft  to  relieve 
the  wheel,  of  the  soldiers  descending  to  their 
quarters  in  the  'tween  decks. 


Ill  MY    MYSTERIOUS    CABIN-FELLOW  77 

Mr.  Pellevv  lighted  another  cigar,  but  showed 
no  disposition  to  quit  the  spot  where  I  had 
found  him.  The  mystery  of  his  conduct  made 
him  better  society  to  my  mind  than  the  people 
in  the  saloon  of  whom  to  be  sure.  I  had  scarce 
as  yet  made  the  acquaintance  of  more  than  half 
a  dozen.  I  therefore  filled  my  pipe  afresh  and 
lingered  at  his  side  w^Ith  some  hope  of  courting 
him  into  a  sentence,  however  evasive,  which 
should  sharpen  or  satisfy  the  suspicion  that  was 
now  a  mere  vexation  for  its  vao^ueness  ;  but  so 
often  as  I  directed  the  conversation  to  the 
passengers,  so  often  indeed  as  I  uttered  any 
remark  that  was  not  of  an  absolutely  impersonal 
character,  the  tendency  of  which  threatened  to 
swerve  us  in  the  smallest  deo-ree  from  conver- 
satlon  more  or  less  idle  and  commonplace,  his 
pause,  his  silence,  was  the  completest  hint  of 
recoil,  and  once  or  twice  of  quiet  resentment ; 
and  then  he  would  q-q  on  talkinor  of  such  stuff 
as  the  duties  of  a  merchant  mate,  the  worth  of 
such  a  cargo  as  the  Light  of  Asia  carried,  the 


78  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iii 

height  of  the  topmost  sail,  the  main-royal,  from 
the  deck  on  which  we  stood.  Once  I  asked 
him  how  long  he  proposed  to  remain  in  India, 
and  he  answered  by  calling  my  attention  to  the 
flight  of  a  shooting  star,  which  on  its  vanish- 
ing, left  behind  it  a  long  wake  or  scoring  of 
floating  silver  dust,  that  lingered  for  some 
moments.  Half  an  hour  of  this  sort  of  thing 
sufficed  me,  and  emptying  my  pipe  I  left  him 
stationed  like  a  sentry  by  the  side  of  the  galley 
and  strolled  aft  into  the  saloon. 


IV 


MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM 

For  some  days  nothing  happened  in  any  way 
worth  mentioning.  At  this  distance  of  time  I 
cannot  be  sure  of  dates  ;  but  I  beheve  we  had 
been  somewhere  about  a  fortnight  from  Eng- 
land when,  happening  to  be  on  the  poop  in  the 
afternoon  I  was  accosted  by  the  captain  as  I 
stood  alone  leaning  over  the  ship's  quarter 
engaged  in  an  occupation  I  was  never  weary  of 
—  I  mean  watching  the  exquisite  configurations 
of  the  snow-white  foam  as  it  slidecl  over  the 
dark-blue  surface  into  the  ship's  wake  in  glitter- 
ing bells  careering  round  the  edge  of  gleaming 
eddies  or  gyrating   in  shapes  of  stars  and  the 


8o  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iv 

tendrils  of  plants,  or  seething  past  In  cloudy 
masses  of  a  cream-like  softness.  I  had  had  very 
little  to  say  to  Captain  Stagg.  I  do  not  know 
that  he  was  much  liked  by  any  of  the  pas- 
sengers. He  was  convulsive  enough  In  his 
bows,  effusive  enough  in  his  sea  courtesies  to 
the  nobs  amongst  us  :  to  Sir  Charles  and  his 
daughter,  to  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Mowbray  and 
the  like  ;  but  there  was  tyranny  in  his  handling 
of  his  men.  I  used  to  find  something  brutal  in 
the  coarse  flinor  of  his  voice  whenever  he  had 
occasion  to  let  fly  an  order  at  his  crew,  and  he 
was  rough  and  gruff  and  insolent  in  his  bearing 
to  his  officers — that  is  to  say,  when  the  poop 
was  thin  and  he  thought  himself  unwatched  ; 
otherwise  when  there  was  no  lack  of  spectators 
he  would  uncouthly  request  the  chief  mate  to 
''be  so  good  as  to  get  so  and  so  done,''  or 
address  the  second  mate  with  a  ''Pray,  Mr, 
Masters,  zualk  foriuard,  dfcT  The  midship- 
men hated  and  feared  him,  trembled  when  he 
arrived  on  deck,  and  watched  him  as  though  he 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM        8i 

carried  a  weapon  which  he  might  at  any 
moment  draw  upon  them. 

Well,  as  I  told  you,  he  accosted  me  one  after- 
noon as  I  stood  gazing  down  upon  the  swirling 
wash  of  foam  alono^side. 

*'  Busy,  Captain  Swift  ? " 

''  Nothing  whatever  to  do  ;  ''  said  I,  turning 
upon  him. 

"  I  should  like  three  words  with  you,'  said 
he. 

"  As  many  as  you  please." 

"  You  share  your  cabin  with  a  gentleman 
named  Pellew  ? " 

I  nodded. 

"  I  have  been  leaving  a  card  upon  him  this 
afternoon  in  the  sea-sense  of  visits,"  said  he 
with  a  erin  which  seemed  to  twist  his  mouth 
right  into  his  cheek  whilst  his  nose  appeared  to 
edge  more  directly  the  other  way;  "  he  is  a 
very  fine  gentleman,,  quite  a  splendid  man,  I 
declare.  Odd  he  should  have  been  my  pas- 
senger all   this  while  and  that    I   should   never 


82  A    STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  iv 

have  seen  bim  before.  But  he  Is  perfectly 
well  ?  " 

*'  In  health  you  mean  ?  Yes,  I  should  say 
he's  perfectly  well." 

"  Has  he  given  you  a  reason  for  his  clinging 
to  his  cabin — for  his  never  putting  in  an  appear- 
ance on  deck  or  in  the  cuddy  ?  " 

"  No,  nor  have  I  troubled  myself  to  ask  him 
for  a  reason." 

"  He  told  me  plainly,"  said  he,  "  that  he  dis- 
likes society,  that  if  the  accommodation  of  the 
ship  had  permitted  he  would  have  hired  two 
berths,  one  to  serve  him  as  a  sitting-room  the 
other  as  a  bed-room,  so  that  he  could  always  be 
entirely  alone  if  he  chose." 

*'  I  suppose,"  said  I,  "in  your  time  you  have 
sailed  with  passengers  whose  tastes  were  a  little 
odd  and  perplexing  ?  " 

"  In  my  time  I  have  sailed  with  many  queer 
people  and  seen  many  strange  things,"  he 
answered,  driving  his  hands  deep  into  his 
breeches  pockets  and  bestowing  a  singular  leer 


HAS     HE     GIVEN-     YOU     A     REASON,    CAPTAIN^  SWIFT,    FOR     HIS 
CLINGING     TO     HIS    CABIN?" 


G    2 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY   CUNNINGHAM        85 

of  self-complacency  upon  me.  "  In  the 
Australian  trade  there's  some  sort  of  sociability 
to  be  found  ;  but  amongst  Anglo-Indians, 
'specially  gents  who  are  in  your  profession — and 
perhaps  I  shouldn't  say  that  either,  for  upon 
my  word,  I  lay  it  mostly  to  the  account  of  the 
ladies — there's  a  deal  of — what  shall  I  call  it  ? 
Lord  !  how  easily  may  a  man's  good  sense  be 
stumped  by  the  w^ant  of  a  word  !  Well,  I  mean 
this  :  that  to  satisfy  the  outwards,  I  won't  say 
the  homewards,  folks  in  this  trade  a  ship  ought 
to  be  made  up  of  separate  living  and  sleeping- 
rooms  like  a  hotel  ;  there  should  be  no  communi- 
cation unless  desired  ;  no  public  table  save  for 
those  who  choose  to  sit  at  it." 

"  You  exactly  express  Mr.  Pellew's  motive 
for  holding  aloof,  so  far  as  I  can  gather  it," 
said  I. 

'•  How  do  vou  and  him  oret  on  ?  "  said  he  with 
a  small  forecastle  lapse  in  his  speech. 

"Very  w^ell  indeed." 

"  Find  him  perfectly  straight-headed  ?  " 


86  A    STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  iV 

"  You  need  only  meet  his  eye  to  know  that." 

"  Does  he  talk  In  his  sleep  ?  " 

''  He  rests  as  peacefully  as  a  dog-tired  sailor/' 
I  replied. 

"  Then  he's  quiet  enough  though  he'll  snore 
If  he's  after  that  pattern,"  said  he  with  a  nod 
and  a  grin.  "  Well,  sir,  I  thought  I'd  ask  you 
about  him.  Certainly  he's  a  very  fine  gentle- 
man. He's  not  a  nobleman  d'ye  think  shipped 
under  a  false  name  ? " 

"  I  can  answer  nothing,  for  I  know  nothing," 
I  responded. 

"  Not  that  he  need  be  a  nobleman  to  be  fine 
looking  either,"'  said  he  spitting  into  the  sea  ; 
''  I  only  want  to  satisfy  my  mind  that  all's  right 
with  him,"  and  he  touched  his  forehead. 

"  You  may  make  your  mind  perfectly  easy  on 
that  score." 

He  reflected  a  little  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  horizon  and  then  said,  ''  If  you  can  induce 
him  to  show  himself  on  deck  by  day  I  shall  be 
glad.      He  needn't  eat  in  the  cabin  ;  he  needn't 


IV        MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM        87 

speak  to  any  one ;  I'll  give  the  passengers  a  hint, 
they're  people  of  manners,  and  I  warrant  him 
he  sha'n't  be  stared  at.  But  his  keeping  below, 
only  coming  up  when  it's  dark,  and  so  fine  a 
gentleman  as  he  is  too — why,  ye  see,  Captain 
Swift,  it'll  lead  to  talk,  and  by  and  by  to  a  little 
uneasiness.  The  people  '11  think  that  he's  gone 
and  done  something  wrong,  and  dursen't  show 
himself  in  consequence.  Let  him  make  his 
appearance — on  the  quarter-deck  if  he  likes  ; 
he  can  easily  keep  clear  of  the  poop  all  the 
same  as  if  he  was  a  steerage  passenger."  and 
thus  speaking  he  rolled  over  to  the  binnacle  to 
examine  the  compass  and  resume  his  station  to 
windward  of  the  wheel. 

I  have  said  that  this  conversation  occurred 
durinor  an  afternoon  when  we  had  been  about  ten 
days  out  from  England.  It  left  no  impression 
upon  my  mind.  I  had  long  foreseen  that  the  at- 
tention of  the  captain  would  be  provoked  by  Mr. 
Pellew's  curious  behaviour,  and  whilst  the  issue 
was  uncertain,  that  is  to  say  whilst  I  could  only 


88  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iv 

Speculate  on  the  attitude  Captain  Stagg  would 
adopt — whether  he  would  leave  Mr.  Pellew  to 
tranquilly  enjoy  his  cabin,  or  by  the  exercise  of 
his  authority  oblige  him  to  conform  to  the 
routine  of  shipboard  life  ;  whilst  this  issue  was 
uncertain,  I  say,  I'd  feel  an  interest  that  was 
sometimes  almost  lively  in  the  matter.  But 
now  as  it  seemed  it  was  a  settled  affair.  If/ 
could  coax  Mr.  Pellew  into  showing  himself  on 
deck  by  day,  so  much  the  better  ;  if  not  then 
there  was  nothing  to  be  done  ;  Mr.  Pellew  was 
evidently  wathin  his  rights  ;  the  captain  might 
remonstrate  or  advise  but  he  could  not  com- 
mand, and  the  passengers  must  talk  as  they 
choose  and  think  as  they  pleased. 

It  happened  on  this  day  whilst  waiting  In  the 
saloon  with  others  for  the  ladies  to  arrive  to 
dinner  that  a  cabin  door  immediately  opposite 
where  I  stood  was  opened  and  Miss  Primrose 
stepped  out.  It  was  her  berth  :  this  I  had  not 
before  known — indeed  I  had  imagined  that  she 
slept  next  to  her  father's  cabin  that  was  on  the 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM        89 

Starboard  side  of  the  ship,  well  aft.  Her  maid 
held  the  door  open  whilst  she  passed  out  :  and 
continued  to  hold  it  open  for  a  sufficient  space  of 
time  to  enable  me  to  obtain  not  only  a  view  of 
the  interior  of  the  compartment,  but  a  sight  of 
a  thick  rope  called  a  shroud  which  almost  per- 
pendicularly ruled  the  large  circular  glass  of  the 
porthole. 

This  shroud  was  clothed  with  what  at  sea  is 
termed  "  chafmg  gear" — mats,  split  bamboos, 
tarred  canvas  and  the  like.  In  the  case  of  this 
particular  shroud  the  chafing  gear  that  protected 
it  from  the  fret  of  ropes  was  formed  of  some 
thickly-knitted  heavily-tarred  material  to  which 
I  am  unable  to  give  a  name,  but  w^hich  made 
me  instantly  recognize  it  as  one  that  descended 
to  a  dead-eye  in  the  mizzen-channel  the  ledge 
of  which  as  I  have  before  written  overhung  the 
porthole  that  belonged  to  the  cabin  shared  by  Mr. 
Pellew  and  me.  I  knew  this  because  one  day 
when  idly  over-hanging  the  side,  and  looking 
down  upon  the   mizzen-channel,  I   had  amused 


90  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  IV 

myself  by  localizing  the  exact  situation  of  our 
berth,  and  I  made  out  that  our  cabin  window 
was  close  against  the  iron  fastening  or  chain 
plate  as  it  is  termed,  one  end  of  which  was 
bolted  to  the  ship's  side,  whilst  to  the  other  end 
that  penetrated  the  edge  of  the  channel  was 
secured  the  dead-eye  through  which  were  rove 
the  lanyards  that  fastened  the  shroud  which 
ruled  the  window  of  Miss  Primrose's  berth. 

Now  all  this  which  has  taken  me  some  time 
to  write  simply  signified  a  discovery  to  which 
as  you  may  suppose  I  attached  no  possible 
significance  at  the  time  :  namely  that  Miss 
Primrose's  berth  was  exactly  over  Mr.  Pellew's 
and  mine  :  that  the  two  portholes  were  direcdy 
in  a  vertical  line,  so  that  but  for  the  interposi- 
tion of  the  wide  shelf  of  the  mizzen-channel  a 
man — say  a  tall  man  ;  such  a  figure  as  Mr. 
Pellew's  for  example — could,  by  standing  on 
the  rim  of  the  lower  port,  grasp  the  edge  of  the 
upper  one. 

I  had  also  time  to  observe  whilst  the  maid 


iv        MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM        91 

held  the  door  open  that  only  one  of  the  two 
bunks  under  the  porthole  was  furnished  with 
bedding,  whence  It  was  clear  that  the  girl 
slept  alone.  This  privilege  had  doubtless  been 
secured  by  an  early  application  from  the  General 
for  accommodation,  possibly  at  an  Increase  In 
the  rate  of  fares.  He  might  have  a  reason  ot 
his  own  for  desiring  an  unshared  berth  for  his 
daughter.  The  Intimacy  of  successive  nights 
of  companionship  must  tempt  her  into  a  degree 
of  communicativeness  w^hlch  Sir  Charles  would 
find  inconvenient,  for  he  might  easily  guess 
that  the  lady  to  whom  she  disclosed  her  secret 
— and  a  sad  and  most  melancholy  secret  un- 
doubtedly was  hers  if  there  be  any  virtue  In 
female  beauty  to  express  feelings  of  secret  and 
consuming  wretchedness — w^ould  have  some 
confidential  f"rlend  on  board  to  whom  to  Impart 
it,  and  so  the  truth  would  thread  Its  way  from 
ear  to  ear  in  whispers. 

But    the     bustle    of    dinner,    the    oblloration 
of    listening     and     replying,     speedily     drove 


92  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  IV 

all  thoughts  of  Miss  Primrose  out  of  my 
head. 

I  withdrew  to  my  berth  that  night  shortly 
after  ten  o'clock.  The  wind  on  deck  was  wet 
with  driving  drizzle  ;  and  in  the  saloon  there 
was  nothinor  better  to  do  than  to  watch  Sir 
Charles,  Colonel  Mowbray,  and  two  others 
playing  at  whist,  and  to  listen  to  the  chatter 
of  four  or  five  of  the  passengers  assembled  at 
the  other  end  of  the  table.  I  expected,  as 
usual,  to  find  Mr.  Pellew  in  his  bunk,  asleep, 
or  at  least  suggesting  by  his  posture  and  air 
the  now  familiar  indisposition  to  talk  at  that 
hour  of  the  niorht.  Instead  he  was  seated  in 
a  Madeira  chair,  smoking  a  cheroot,  and  read- 
ing a  novel  by  the  light  of  a  bracket-lamp 
affixed  to  the  bulkhead.  The  moment  I  en- 
tered he  closed  the  volume,  looked  at  his 
watch,  and  exclaimed,  "  I  did  not  know  it  was 
so  late.     Are  you  going  to  turn  in  ? " 

"  Yes,"  I  answered  ;  "  there  is  nothing  to  be 
done  above.      The  night  is  wet  and  dirty,  and 


IV        MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM        93 

it  is  SO  confoundedly  dull  In  the  saloon  that  I 
am  beginning  to  think  your  manner  of  making 
a  voyage  Is,  after  all,  the  best  theory  for  living 
out  one's  passage  of  life  on  board  ship." 

He  looked  at  me  earnestly.  I  seemed  to 
find  on  a  sudden  a  new  meaning  in  his  face, 
an  expression  of  emotional  resolution,  which  I 
had  never  before  found  in  him. 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  sleepy,"  said  he;  ''I 
should  enjoy  a  chat  with  you."         , 

"  I  am  sleepy  merely  for  the  want  of  a  chat," 
I  answered. 

He  handed  me  his  cigar-case  and  I  lighted 
a  cheroot.  Needless  to  say  that  smoking  was 
not  permitted  below.  Nevertheless  he  was 
seldom  without  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  and 
wrongly  or  rightly  we  now  smoked. 

''  I  received  a  visit  from  the  captain  to-day," 
said  he,  crossing  his  legs  and  settling  himself 
in  his  chair  in  the  manner  of  one  who  Intends 
that  the  sitting  he  has  entered  upon  shall  not 
be  hastily  ended.      "He  was  my  second  visitor. 


94  .A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iv 

Did    I    tell    you    that    the    doctor    of  the    ship 
honoured  me  with  a  call  three  days  ago  ?  " 

*'  No.      He  found  you  quite  well,  1  hope  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  ask  him  for  an  opinion.     What  is 
the  captain's  name  ?  " 
"  Stagg." 

"It  should  be  Bear.  Surely  he  is  too  rough 
and  unpolished  an  animal  for  the  civilities  and 
elegances  and  hospitality  of  an  East  Indiaman's 
saloon,  full  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  some  of 
them  high  and  mighty,  I  dare  say." 

"  He  told  me  this  afternoon  that  he  had  paid 
you  a  visit." 

"  How^  did  he  describe  me  ?" 

"  He  was  all  admiration ;  but  he  is  very 
anxious  that  I  should  get  you  on  deck.  He 
fears  that  the  passengers  will  presently  begin 
to  talk  about  the  mxysterious  passenger  below 
and  that  their  notions  as  to  your  motives  will 
create  an  uneasy  feeling  amongst  them." 

He  thoughtfully  stroked  his  moustache  whilst 
he   fixed   his   eyes  upon   the  ash   of  his   cigar, 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM        95 

and  for  some  moments,  which  may  have  run 
into  a  minute  or  two,  there  was  silence  between 
us.     Speaking  softly,  but  with  abruptness, 

*' Captain  Swift,"  said  he,  "may  I  communi- 
cate my  secret  to  you  ?  " 

*'  That  must  be  entirely  for  you  to  decide," 
I  answered. 

'*  You  will  be — you  must  be — the  only  living 
creature  in  the  ship  who  has  knowledge  of  it. 
No ! "  he  paused  as  if  he  would  correct  himself, 
then  continued  with  energy,  yet  preserving  his 
wary  softness  of  voice,  "  One  other  must  know 
it :  it  will  be  you  two  only.  That  I  may  trust 
an  English  officer  and  a  gentleman  up  to  the 
hilt  I  need  not  say.  What  I  am  anxious  to 
tell  you  must  be  your  secret." 

*' It  will  be  strange,"  said  I,  "if  I  have  not 
already  guessed  it." 

He  viewed  me  inquiringly. 

"  I  will  ask  the  question  :  answer  or  not,  as 
you  please  :  does  your  secret  concern  Miss 
Primrose  ?  " 


96  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iv 

He  Started  and  stared  at  me,  his  fine  eyes 
glowing  with  astonishment  and  alarm.  "  Good 
heavens!"  he  cried  faintly,  ''is  it  known  that 
I  am  on  board  ? " 

He  was  about  to  put  twenty  other  questions. 
I  interrupted  him  :  "  Of  course  it  is  known  that 
you  are  on  board.  How  on  earth  could  it  be 
otherwise  ?  Here  are  you  waited  on  every 
day  by  one  of  the  stewards  ;  then  you  tell  me 
the  doctor  visited  vou,  and  then -" 

"  No,  no,"  he  exclaimed  with  a  change  of 
countenance,  "you  misunderstand  me.  Yet 
how  is  it  possible  you  should  comprehend  my 
meaning  since  you  know  nothing  whatever  of 
my  story  ?  But — Miss  Primrose  !  What,"  he 
exclaimed  fixing  his  keen  and  burning  gaze 
upon  me,  "caused  you  to  associate  her  with 
my  secret  ? " 

"  For  the  life  of  me  I  could  not  tell  you," 
I  answered.  "The  melancholy  and  beauty  of 
her  face  interested  me,  I  suppose,  and  then  I 
dare  say,  whilst  thinking  over  some  reason  to 


IV        MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM        97 

account  for  your  keeping  In  hiding,  it  might 
have  dimly  occurred  to  me  that  Miss  Primrose 
was  one  reason,  at  all  events,  for  your  stopping 
below  here." 

''  Have  you  suggested  this  to  any  one  ?" 

**  To  no  one." 

"  Well,  Captain  Swift,"  he  exclaimed,  wich  a 
glance  round,  as  though  fearful  of  the  very 
walls  of  the  cabin,  ''  I  may  frankly  tell  you 
that  you  have  anticipated  the  point  of  the 
story  I  intend  to  relate.  In  three  words  I 
may  say  that  Miss  Primrose  and  I  are  be- 
trothed, and  that,  unknown  to  her  father,  and 
even,  at  this  moment,  unknown  to  herself,  I 
am   accompanying  her  to    India. ' 

I  composed  myself  to  listen,  and  perhaps  not 
without  some  small  emotion  of  disappointment, 
for  In  truth  I  had  expected  a  larger,  a  more 
gallant  and  dramatic  disclosure,  something  to 
lift  the  Impassioned  commonplace  of  love  for 
which   I   was  prepared  to  a  heroic  height. 

'*  First   of  all,"    he   proceeded,    "  I    must   tell 

H 


98  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

vou  that  my  name  is  not  Godfrey  Pellew. 
These  sounds  I  assume  for  the  purpose  of  the 
voyage.  My  real  name  Is  Charles  Wortley 
Cunningham.  My  father,  who  died  four  years 
ago,    was     Sir     Stuart    Wortley    Cunningham, 

knight,  for  many  years  Governor  of "  and 

he  named  one  of  the  West   India   Islands. 

He  paused  as  though  awaiting  some  ex- 
clamation of  surprise  ;  but  I  sat  quietly  listen- 
ing, nor  did  I  think  proper  to  tell  him  that 
even  in  this  little  article  of  his  confession  I  had 
been  ahead  of  him,  since  from  the  moment 
when  he  had  first  pronounced  the  name  of 
Pellew   I   had  instinctively  suspected  it  false. 

*' Eight  months  ago,"  he  continued,  "  I  met 
Miss  Primrose  at  a  dance  at  Bath.  She  and 
her  father  were  then  in  lodgings  in  Pulteney 
Street.  I  fell  in  love  with  her,  and  with  her 
father's  full  consent  we  became  engaged.  He 
exactly  knew  my  expectations  ;  that  I  am  an 
only  son,  that  on  the  death  of  my  mother  I 
inherit  an  estate  in  Suftblk  and  fifteen  hundred 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM       99 

a  year,  that  my  antecedents  are  as  unimpeach- 
able as  his  own,  though  it  would  be  impossible 
for  any  man  to  have  a  higher  opinion  of  his 
descent  than  Sir  Charles  Primrose.  He  seemed 
perfectly  satisfied — you  must  know  the  General 
is  a  widower.  The  marriage  was  fixed  to  take 
place  on  the  14th  of  last  month.  The  General 
returned  with  his  daughter  to  London — his 
house  was  in  Hanover  Square  ;  I  followed,  and 
day  after  day  Geraldine — Miss  Primrose,  I  mean 
— and  I  were  together.  But  Sir  Charles  was  a 
man  desperately  hard  to  get  on  with.  His  tem- 
per is  incredibly  bad,  his  vanity  enormous,  and 
his  capacity  of  insulting  people  whom  he  dis- 
likes or  who  venture  to  oppose  his  quite  com- 
monplace view  of  things — for  he  is  a  very  stupid 
man,  the  stupidest  man  I  know,  though  pro- 
fessionally distinguished — his  talent  of  affront, 
I  say,  is  so  exceptional  that  I  used  to  wonder 
he  had  ever  been  spared  to  see  his  present  years 
— that  he  had  not  been  shot  out  of  or  kicked 
out  of  or  cudgelled  out  of  existence  long  ago. 

H  2 


100  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  iv 

"  Well,  I  was  dining  at  his  house  ;  he  and 
his  daughter  and  two  or  three  others  were 
present  at  the  table.  We  o-ot  upon  the  subject 
of  politics.  The  General  of  course  is  a  red-hot 
Tory.  The  shape  of  his  head  illustrates  his 
political  views.  An  assertion  was  made :  I 
opposed  it,  but  without  the  least  temper.  Sir 
Charles  thundered  some  mortifying,  almost  in- 
sulting expression  at  me.  It  was  not  in  flesh 
and  blood  to  keep  silent  and  I  rejoined.  And 
how  did  that  argument  end  ?  He  told  me  to 
leave  the  house  !  He  sprang  from  his  chair 
black  in  the  face  with  rage,  and  choked  out  an 
order  to  his  butler  to  see  me  to  the  door !  I 
was  really  so  astonished — the  thing  was  so  in- 
credible— that  for  some  moments  I  merely 
stared  at  him.  He  then  stepped  to  the  door, 
elbowed  his  butler  out  of  the  road  and  asked — 
still  choking — whether  I  meant  to  go  or  not. 
I  now  lost  all  self-control ;  but  for  his  daughter 
being  present,  I  believe  I  should  have  flogged 
the    fellow    round    his  own    inhospitable   table. 


IV        MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM      103 

I   was  too  mad  with  temper   to  know  what    I 
said." 

He  resumed  his  seat  breathinof  fast  and 
seemed  at  a  loss  as  though  his  mind  had  been 
hurried  away  from  its  subject  by  the  angry  tide 
of  memory.  Then  rising  afresh  he  stole  to  the 
door  and  looked  out  into  the  passage  betwixt 
the  cabins.  He  was  cool  when  he  returned  to 
his  seat  and  exclaimed  with  a  smile  that  he 
hoped  he  had  not  greatly  raised  his  voice 
whilst  speaking. 

"  I  do  not  think  so." 

*'Well,"  continued  Mr.  Cunningham,  as  I 
must  now  call  him,  addressing  me  in  soft  but 
firm  accents  with  the  flush  eone  out  of  his 
cheeks,  his  eyes  cold  again,  and  his  features  as 
composed  and  resolved  as  ever  they  had  shown 
at  any  time  within  these  ten  days,  'you  will 
suppose  after  this  that  so  far  as  General  Sir 
Charles  Primrose  was  concerned,  my  engage- 
ment to  his  daughter  was  at  an  end.  I  sent  him 
a  letter  of  humble  apology.      I  was  a  contempt- 


I04  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  IV 

ible  rascal  to  abase  myself  so !  but  I  wrote  for 
Geraldine's  sake,  and  the  letter  was  returned  to 
me  in  halves  with  the  seal  unbroken.  I  called — 
perfect  fool  that  I  was—  :  "  he  bit  his  lip  to  the 
memory  of  some  insult  which  he  could  not  find 
it  in  him  to  communicate.  ''  Geraldine  wrote 
to  me  ;  I  was  to  forgive  her  father  ;  he  had 
suffered  from  sunstroke  in  India;  there  were 
times  when  he  was  not  responsible  for  his  be- 
haviour. But  she  wrote  as  if  with  a  broken 
heart,  and  though  she  prayed  me  to  have 
patience,  to  continue  to  love  her,  to  preserve 
my  faith  in  her  devotion,  yet  there  was  a  tone 
of  hopelessness  in  her  letter  impossible  to  miss. 
The  reply  I  addressed  to  her  came  back  to  me 
torn  with  the  seal  unbroken  as  in  the  case  of 
my  letter  to  her  father.  I  then  found  out  that 
she  had  been  sent  into  the  country,  but  in  what 
part  she  was  I  could  not  discover  ;  till  one  day 
I  received  a  note  from  her  saying  that  her 
father  was  under  orders  for  India  ;  that  he  was 
sailing   on    such  and  such  a  day  and  that  she 


IV        MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM      105 

was  to  accompany  him.  She  would  have 
written  to  me  every  day — every  hour  she  said, 
but  she  was  so  closely  watched  that  she  could  not 
take  a  pen  in  her  hand  without  being  challenged  ; 
it  would  have  been  equally  impossible  for  her  to 
receive  a  reply  from  me,  and  the  letter  that  she 
was  now  sending,  which  in  fact  I  was  reading, 
she  feared  might  never  reach  my  hands,  though 
she  had  heavily  bribed  a  housemaid  to  steal 
with  it  to  the  post.  '  He  glanced  at  his 
watch.  "  I  fear  now  that  I  have  gone  far 
enough  and  that  I  am  beginning  to  bore  you," 
said  he. 

''  Not  at  all.  I  am  exceedinQ^lv  interested. 
Besides,  I  have  seen  enough  of  Sir  Charles  to 
know  exactly  how  to  sympathize  with  you." 

"Well,  to  make  an  end.  I  adored  i\Iiss 
Primrose,  and  had  not  the  least  intention  of 
losing  her;  but  I  stood  the  chance  of  losing  her 
if  she  sailed  to  India  and  left  me  behind  in  Eng- 
land. Knowing  the  date  on  which  they  w^ere 
to  start,  I  looked  through  the  shipping  lists  and 


io6  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iv 

found  this  vessel  named  for  that  day.  To  make 
sure  of  them  I  called  at  the  office  of  the  owners 
and  ascertained  that  cabins  had  been  taken  for 
Sir  Charles  Primrose,  Miss  Primrose,  and  her 
maid.  I  at  once  booked  a  passage  for  myself, 
but  found  the  ship  was  so  full  that  I  must  be 
content  to  share  a  berth.  I  gave  my  name  as 
Godfrey  Pellew,  and  joined  the  ship  in  the  dusk 
of  the  evening  at  the  East  India  Docks.  The 
General  and  his  daughter,  I  ascertained,  came 
on  board  at  Gravesend." 

Finding  him  silent  I  exclaimed — hardly  In- 
deed knowing  what  else  to  say — "  You  have 
embarked  on  a  queer  adventure." 

**  Miss  Primrose  and  I  are  together,"  said  he 
with  a  flash  in  his  eyes. 

"  But,"  said  I,  lighting  the  stump  of  my  cigar, 
"  what  do  you  hope  that  India  will  do  for  you  ? 
The  General  will  proceed  to  his  station  or  dis- 
trict. He  will  of  course  carry  his  daughter 
with  him.  If  you  follow,  your  presence  will  be 
quickly  discovered — and  what  then  ?" 


IV        MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM      107 

He  merely  smiled,  eying  me  steadfastly  and 
knowingly. 

''The  climate  of  India,"  said  I,  "does  not 
improve  the  temper.  Mere  dislike  in  the  cool 
latitude  of  London  may  easily  become  con- 
suming hate  in  a  country  of  curry  and  mos- 
quitoes." 

*'  Miss  Prim_rose  and  I  are  together,"  he  re- 
peated. 

*'Yes,  you  are  certainly  in  the  same  ship," 
said  I. 

**  Well,"  said  he,  with  an  air  that  made  me 
see  he  had  no  intention  to  submit  his  pro- 
gramme to  me,  "  I  hope  I  have  fully  satisfied 
you  as  to  my  motives  for  keeping  in  hiding 
here  ? " 

''  Fully." 

''  And  now  will  you  do  me  a  favour  ?  It  will 
indeed  be  an  act  of  singular  kindness." 

"  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  oblige  you." 

"  To  this  moment  Miss  Primrose  doesn't 
know  that  I'm  on  board.      I  have  no  means  of 


io8  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iv 

communicatins:  with  her.  I  dare  not  trust  the 
fellow  who  waits  upon  me — no,  though  I  should 
tip  him  ten  pounds  for  every  letter  he  delivers 
to  her.  The  first  letter  ! — the  first  intimation  ! 
consider  the  tact  such  a  delivery  must  require 
to  guard  against  astonishment  and  alarm  be- 
traying her.  Will  yoii.  hand  her  a  note  from 
me  r 

*'  You  must  know  I  have  not  yet  had  the 
pleasure  of  making  her  acquaintance." 

*'  But  on  board  ship  there  is  no  ceremony. 
One  addresses  whom  one  pleases.  I  beg  you 
to  understand  that  having  obtained  this  very 
great  favour  at  your  hands,  I  shall  not  dream  of 
ao-aln  troubling  you.  I  am  only  now  desirous 
that  she  should  be  told  that  I  am  on  board." 

*'  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  give  your  letter  to 

her." 

He  rose  and  grasped  me  by  the  hand,  thank- 
ing me  warmly. 

But  though,  after  a  swift  debate  in  my  mind, 
I  had  consented  to  serve  him — my  disposition 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM      109 

to  oblige,  or,  In  other  words,  my  good-nature, 
scarcely  suffering  me  to  consider  seriously 
how  far  I  should  be  discreet  in  bearing  any,  the 
most  insignificant  part  in  this  questionable  ship- 
board drama  upon  which  the  curtain  was  about 
to  rise — I  was  also  secretly  resolved  that  the 
first  step  I  took  in  it  should  be  my  last. 
Indeed,  as  I  sat  musing  over  his  story  whilst 
he  continued  to  address  me,  I  could  hardly 
persuade  myself  that  he  had  given  me  the 
whole  truth.  It  seemed  incredible  that  Sir 
Charles  should  have  acted  with  the  unspeak- 
able insolence,  the  brutal  inhospitality,  that  Mr. 
Cunningham  had  described.  And  yet,  to  be 
sure,  quarrels  of  a  very  violent  sort,  often  of  a 
very  frightful  sort,  had  originated  in  arguments. 
Even  the  worthy  old  Vicar  of  Wakefield  was, 
as  we  all  know,  quite  ready  to  sacrifice  the 
happiness  of  his  son  George  and  Miss  Arabella 
Wilmot  to  his  opinions  on  the  subject  of  mono- 
gamy. 

Until  hard  upon  midnight,  I  think  it  was,  did 


no  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  iv 

we  sit  talking  in  that  cabin.  Our  quarters  were 
sunk  deep  in  the  ship,  and  never  a  sound  pene- 
trated to  us  from  the  deck.  No  other  noises 
broke  the  stilhiess  than  the  sobbing  and  yearn- 
ing wash  of  water  along  the  ship's  side,  the 
creaking  of  the  cargo  in  the  hold,  and  the 
straining  of  bulkheads  and  the  lighter  fittings 
as  the  vessel  rolled.  People  were  sleeping  on 
either  hand  of  us  and  opposite,  but  saving  now 
and  again  when  angry  recollections  forced  a 
note  of  vehemence  into  Mr.  Cunningham's 
articulation,  his  speech  had  been  low  and  soft, 
with  a  melody  of  its  own  that  was  like  singing, 
and  that  rendered  Avhat  was  affecting  in  his 
references  singularly  plaintive  and  pathetic, 
whilst  it  enriched  even  to  nobility  every  utter- 
ance of  scorn,  or  contempt,  or  indignation. 
There  was  no  cause  to  fear  then  that  a  syllable 
of  our  talk  had  been  overheard. 

The  longer  I  conversed  with  him  the  more  I 
found  myself  charmed  by  his  beauty  and  indi- 
viduality.    There   was  never  anything  striking 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINGHAM      iii 

in  what  he  said,  yet  his  most  trivial  expression 
was  made  memorable  by  his  manner,  his 
grace,  his  dignity,  by  his  speaking  eyes,  by 
the  twenty  physical  charms  my  recollection 
carries.  All  reserve  was  now  gone  ;  he  asked 
me  question  after  question  about  Miss  Primrose 
— what  I  thought  of  her — how  she  looked — if 
she  appeared  well — if  she  associated  with  the 
other  passengers — her  father's  treatment  of 
her  so  far  as  I  could  judge,  and  so  on,  and 
so  on. 

It  was  whilst  endeavouring  to  deal  with  this 
lover-like  fusillade  that  cocking  my  thumb  up 
at  the  ceilinof  of  the  cabin  I  said  :  "  Bv  the 
way  I  should  have  told  you  that  you  and  Miss 
Primrose  are  separated  by  a  few  planks  only." 

He  looked  upwards  and  exclaimed  in  a  low 
voice  :  ''  Do  vou  mean  that  her  cabin  is  over- 
head  there  ?  " 

I  nodded. 

"  Do  you  know  for  certain  ? "  he  cried,  send- 
ing a  glance  at  the  porthole  as  he  spoke,  whilst 


112  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  IV 

his    face    took   an    odd   expression  of    mingled 
enthusiasm  and  Incredulity. 

"  For  certain,"'  I  replied,  and  I  repeated  to 
him  the  observation  I  had  made  of  her  cabin 
that  afternoon. 

He  bit  upon  his  underlip,  was  silent  for  some 
moments  and  his  countenance  lost  its  glow. 

"  You  say  she  is  the  only  occupant  of  the 
cabin  ? "  said  he.  '*  Where  does  her  maid 
sleep  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  Somewhere  down  here  I 
fancy*  Once  in  the  saloon  I  saw  her  arrive  by 
the  steps  which  conduct  to  these  parts." 

He  slightly  smiled,  and  again  glanced  at  the 
porthole.  I  looked  at  his  square  shoulders  and 
involuntarily  laughed,  immediately  adding  (that 
he  might  know  w/iy  I  laughed)  :  "  You  will 
never  be  able  to  squeeze  through  that  hole." 

*'  No,"  he  answered..  "  Nor  is  it  to  be  en- 
larged unfortunately." 

"  But  even  were  you  slim  enough  to  crawl 
through  it,"  said   I,   "  you  could  not  communi- 


IV         MR.  CHARLES  WORTLEY  CUNNINX-HAM      113 

cate  with  the  cabin  window  above.  Consider 
the  wide  spread  of  channel  platform  ;  and  whilst 
you  were  clinging  to  one  of  the  iron  bars  which 
hold  it  to  the  ship's  side  a  spray  might  come 
and  wash  you  away  as  Dibdin's  song  says  of 
some  poor  Jack."'  I  ended  the  sentence  with 
an  irrepressible  yawn. 

"  I  believe  you  are  right,"  said  he,  looking  at 
his  watch,  and  we  forthwith   '' turned  in." 


V 


I    DELIVER    THE    LETTER 


Mr.  Cunningham  had  risen  and  finished  his 
letter  before  I  awoke  next  morning.  The 
writing  of  it — in  a  physical  sense  I  mean — must 
have  been  hard  work  ;  for  during  the  night  it 
had  come  on  to  blow  a  strong  breeze  of  wind 
off  the  beam,  and  a  snappish  sea,  with  a  touch 
of  fierceness  sometimes  in  its  frequent  hurls,  was 
chareine  in  bursts  of  thunder  to  the  side  of  the 
ship  on  which  our  cabin  was  situated  and  blind- 
ing the  porthole  with  smothering  heaps  of  glit- 
tering green  brine  that  eclipsed  the  light  in  the 
berth  and  gave  one  nothing  to  look  at  but  the 
dim  twinkle  of  the  wet  circle  of  glass.      But  the 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  115 

letter  was  written,  and  when  I  was  dressed  I 
put  it  in  my  pocket,  bothered  however  by 
having  to  call  him  Cunningham  when  the  name 
of  Pellew  was  the  familiar  one. 

"  Indeed,"  said  I,  "I  wish  you  had  not  given 
me  your  real  name.  If  I  have  occasion  to 
speak  of  you  my  memory  may  play  me  a  trick 
and  I  shall  be  calling  you  Cunningham,  when 
everybody  who  has  heard  of  you  at  all  under- 
stands that  you  are  Pellew." 

"  Pray  be  on  your  guard,"  he  exclaimed. 

Unpleasant  as  the  weather  was  there  was  a 
full  attendance  of  the  passengers  at  breakfast. 
Miss  Primrose  occupied  her  usual  place  next 
her  father  and  my  eyes  were  incessantly  going 
towards  her  as  I  worked  away  with  my  knife 
and  fork  pondering  how  I  should  approach  her 
and  conjecturing  the  reception  she  would  give 
the  intelligence  of  her  sweetheart  being  in  the 
ship.  Was  she  of  an  hysterical  nature  ?  Sup- 
pose she  should  shriek  out,  behave  extrava- 
gantly or  faint  away  when  I  broke  the  news  to 

I  2 


ii6  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  v 

her  or  when  she  opened  the  letter  and  read  the 
truth  for  herself!  The  situation  in  that  case 
would  be  an  exceedingly  disagreeable  one  for 
me.  General  Primrose  was  by  no  means  a 
gentleman  whom  one  would  wish  to  quar- 
rel with — at  least  on  board  ship,  where  one 
would  be  forced  into  incessant  sight  of  or  con- 
tact with  him.  Here  were  we  no  more  than 
eleven  days  out ;  there  might  be  four  months  of 
sailing  before  the  pilot  should  board  us  off  the 
Sandheads  ;  and  those  four  months  must  be 
rendered  the  most  unpleasant  of  any  in  my  life 
should  it  come  to  the  knowledge  of  General  Prim- 
rose and  of  Captain  Stagg  that  Mr.  Cunningham 
alias  Pellew  was  on  board,  and  that  I  was  acting 
as  a  go-between  for  him  and  Miss  Primrose. 

I  was  nervous  and  made  but  a  poor  break- 
fast and  was  found  so  thoughtful  and  incommu- 
nicative that  my  neighbours  at  table  gave  up 
addressing  me.  But  I  had  given  my  word  to 
Mr.  Cunningham,  and  the  promise  must  be 
kept.      There  was  no  change  in  the  demeanour 


V  I    DELIVER    THE    LETTER  117 

of  Miss  Primrose.  As  she  was  when  I  had 
first  noticed  her,  so  did  she  still  appear  :  the 
same  unheeding  girl,  her  eyes  downwards  bent 
with  nun-Hke  persistency,  faintly  smiling  and 
scarcely  looking  up  if  accosted,  and  answering 
so  far  as  I  might  judge  barely  above  her  breath, 
and  in  the  briefest  sentences,  as  though  articu- 
lation were  a  distress  and  a  moment's  diver- 
gence from  the  current  of  her  thoughts  a  pain 
and  a  perplexity  to  her. 

I  eyed  her  father  somewhat  strenuously  and 
believed  1  could  find  in  his  countenance  all 
necessarv  confirmation  of  Mr.  Cunnino^ham's 
story.  His  expression  was  unpleasantly  fierce. 
No  doubt  his  heavy  eyebrows,  the  angry  curl 
of  his  m.oustache,  the  tiger-like  tension  of  his 
whiskers  heightened  the  formidableness  of  his 
looks  ;  but  it  was  quite  possible  to  separate  him 
from  that  aspect  of  haughty,  impassioned  aus- 
terity with  which  nature  had  clothed  him — to 
distinoruish  in  short  the  difference  between  char- 

o 

acter    and  hair,    between    a  sluggish  liver  and 


ii8  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  v 

thick  eyebrows,  between  wire-like  whiskers  and 
a  highly  excitable  temperament. 

Once  the  ship's  doctor  at  my  side  asked 
me  how  my  cabin-fellow  Mr.  Pellew  did  and 
whether  he  had  not  some  reason  much  more 
extraordinary  than  any  he  had  chosen  to  give 
for  lying  hidden  ;  and  once  he  asked  me  in  a 
bantering  tone — for  in  my  time  there  was 
always  something  of  the  wag  and  often  of  the 
tipsy  wag  in  the  typical  ship's  doctor — if  I  had 
lost  my  heart  to  Miss  Primrose  since  I  seemed 
unable  to  remove  my  eyes  from  her  ;  but  my 
short  answers  rendered  sullen  by  uneasiness 
silenced  him. 

1  went  out  on  to  the  quarterdeck  when  I  had 
breakfasted  and  found  a  very  uninviting  scene 
of  ship  and  ocean.  The  decks  were  dark  with 
wet  ;  as  the  vessel  rolled  to  windward  the  froth 
of  the  green  seas  rushing  at  us  from  out  the 
haze  of  the  near  horizon  glanced  ghastly  and 
melancholy  above  the  tall  rail  of  the  bulwark  ; 
there  was  a  dreary  shrill  whistling  of  the  wet 


I    DELIVER   THE   LETTER  119 

wind  in  the  iron-taut  weather  shrouds,  and  in 
the  slack  damp-blackened  rigging  curved  to  lee- 
ward by  the  rush  of  the  blast.  Yet  the  ship 
under  comparatively  small  canvas  was  sailing 
nobly,  shouldering  off  the  blows  of  the  olive- 
coloured  surge  with  volcanic  shocks  of  her  bow 
as  she  plunged,  and  flinging  the  sea  into  boiling 
froth  to  right  and  left  of  her  as  she  went,  so 
that  from  aloft  the  path  of  her  keel  must  have 
resembled  the  sweeping  career  of  the  foaming 
foot  of  the  waterspout. 

My  prospects  as  a  messenger  of  love  looked 
exceedingly  meagre  and  contemptible  in  the 
face  of  this  weather,  which  of  course  m^ust  con- 
fine all  the  passengers  to  the  saloon  and  pro- 
vide me  with  the  slenderest  of  all  chances  of 
finding  Miss  Primrose  alone.  And  yet  strangely 
enough  some  while  after  eleven  o'clock  it  so 
fell  out  that  on  descending  from  the  poop, 
where  I  had  been  trudging  in  a  pea-coat  with  a 
young  officer,  and  taking  a  peep  into  the  long 
interior  through  the  window  I  saw  Miss  Prim- 


I20  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  V 

rose  seated  at  the  foremost  end  of  the  table — 
that  is  to  say  the  end  the  most  remote  from 
where  her  father's  cabin  was  and  from  her 
place  at  meals — writing  as  I  might  suppose  in 
a  diary.  A  few  ladies  were  at  the  aftermost 
part  of  the  saloon  reading,  sewing  and  talking. 
The  rest  of  the  people  were  either  on  the  poop 
— for  the  rain  had  now  ceased  though  it  still 
blew  a  fresh  breeze  of  wind  —  or  in  their 
cabins. 

"This,"  thought  I,  "must  be  my  chance," 
and  being  resolved  to  make  an  end  of  a  busi- 
ness that  grew  more  and  more  distasteful  to  me 
in  proportion  as  I  delayed  it,  I  walked  in.  No 
purpose  was  to  be  served  by  any  sort  of  am- 
biguity in  my  first  address.  There  was  an  item 
of  intelligence  to  impart,  and  the  place— the 
opportunity — my  own  desire  to  get  quit  of  my 
errand — rendered  it  certain  that  the  sooner  the 
news  was  communicated  the  better.  I  ap- 
proached and  placed  myself  on  her  right  that 
I  mipfht  conceal  her  from  the  view  of  the  ladies 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  121 

in  the  after  part  of  the  saloon  ;  yet  It  was 
necessary  to  start  with  some  conventional 
commonplace. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  of  addressing  Miss 
Primrose  ?  " 

She  started  and  raised  her  pen  from  the 
book  in  which  she  was  writing,  whilst  she  lifted 
her  eyes  to  my  face  with  a  slight  expression  of 
surprise  in  her  countenance. 

"  I  have  a  cabin  companion,"  said  I  speaking 
low  but  swiftly.  "You  may  have  heard  him 
spoken  of  as  the  mysterious  passenger.  He 
has  asked  me  to  give  you  this.  The  hand- 
writing will  tell  you  who  he  is,"  and  so  speak- 
ing I  put  the  letter  down  upon  the  table  before 
her. 

She  glanced  at  her  name  that  was  written  in 
a  bold  hand  upon  the  envelope  ;  Instantly  a 
burning  blush  covered  her  face  and  as  much  of 
the  neck  as  was  revealed  by  the  collar  of  her 
dress  ;  but  almost  as  quickly  as  one  could  look 
the  scarlet  glow  was  replaced  by  a  pallor  that 


122  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  v 

seemed  the  deadlier  for  the  contrast  of  the  hue 
that  had  preceded  it.  I  beHeved  that  my  fears 
were  to  be  reahzed — that  she  would  shriek  out 
and  then  faint !  Never  had  I  imagined  that 
the  workings  of  the  human  heart  could  have 
found  such  visible,  such  poignant  expression  in 
flesh  and  blood  as  I  witnessed  in  her.  I  felt 
that  I  had  no  right  to  look — my  gaze  was  an 
impiety,  a  profanity,  an  audacious  peering  into 
a  sacred  mystery  the  sheltering  curtain  of  which 
had  been  ruthlessly  rent.  Yet  I  dared  not 
leave  her  side  until,  to  use  the  expressive  old 
word,  she  had  recollected  herself,  for  there  were 
shrewd  female  eyes  in  the  neighbourhood  and 
on  the  alert,  and  the  interposition  of  my  form 
alone  protected  her  from  their  gaze.  She 
breathed  with  such  difficulty  that  every  instant 
I  feared  some  outbreak  of  hysteria  in  her  ;  there 
was  hardness  and  wildness  in  her  eyes  as  she 
turned  them  from  the  letter  to  me  and  from  me 
to  the  letter  again. 

All  this   might  have  occupied  two   or  three 


SHE   WENT   TO    HER   CABIN    THE   DOOR-HANDLE    OF   WHICH    SHE 
SEEMED   TO   GROPE   FOR   AS   THOUGH   SHE    WERE    BLIND. 


V  I    DELIVER    THE    LETTER  125 

minutes  at  the  outside.  Suddenly  she  sh'pped 
the  letter  into  her  pocket,  rose  with  a  little 
stagger  in  her  manner  of  erecting  her  figure, 
and  picking  up  her  book  sought  to  address  me; 
her  lips  moved  inarticulately,  she  faintly  bowed, 
and  trembling  from  head  to  foot  went  to  her 
cabin  the  door-handle  of  which  she  seemed  to 
grope  for  as  though  she  were  blind,  and  then 
not  a  little  to  my  relief  she  disappeared. 

I  was  as  much  agitated  by  sympathy  as  by 
the  character  of  the  delicate  and  distasteful 
mission,  and  was  sensible  that  my  heart  beat 
faster  than  usual  as  I  sent  a  hasty  glance  at  the 
ladies  to  remark  if  they  appeared  to  have  ob- 
served Miss  Primrose's  sudden  withdrawal  ; 
but  they  were  reading,  gossiping,  sewing  as 
before,  and  I  stepped  out  again  on  to  the 
quarter-deck  to  soothe  my  fluttered  nerves  with 
a  cigar  and  to  reinforce  by  several  powerful 
vows  my  resolution  to  take  no  further  part  in 
this  business,  unless  indeed  it  were  to  convey 
to   Mr.   Cunningham  the   girl's   answer    to   his 


126  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  V 

letter  should  she  write  to  him,  simply  because 
I  quite  understood  if  she  asked  me  to  do  so  I 
should  be  unable  to  withstand  the  entreaty  of 
her  sweetness  and  her  sorrow. 

I  went  some  paces  forward  that  I  might 
obtain  a  view  of  the  poop  and  perceived  Sir 
Charles  and  Colonel  Mowbray  marching  up 
and  down  it.  Had  he  seen  me  accost  his 
daughter  ?  The  foremost  saloon  skylight  was 
almost  immediately  over  that  part  of  the  table 
at  which  she  had  been  seated ;  and  if  the 
General  looked  down  then  he  must  have  seen 
us.  I  waited  until  his  return  walk  brought  him 
to  the  forward  extremity  of  the  deck  ;  but  he 
continued  hot  in  altercation  or  in  conversation 
that  resembled  it.  I  won  no  more  regard  from 
him  than  did  the  mainmast  or  the  pump.  Now 
I  knew  he  was  a  sort  of  man  who  would  have 
stared  very  hard  at  me,  very  hard  and  very 
fiercely  at  me  had  his  glance,  lighting  upon 
the  skylight,  penetrated  to  me  and  his  daughter  ; 
and  this  I    say  because   she   had   held   herself 


V  I    DELIVER    THE    LETTER  127 

markedly  aloof  from  all  us  males,  so  that  had 
he  seen  us  together  he  would  have  been  struck 
and  paused  perhaps  to  observe  us.  That  he 
did  not  stare  at  me,  that  he  took  no  notice 
whatever  of  me  was  assurance  enough  that  he 
had  seen  nothing,  and  I  returned  to  the  shelter 
of  the  recess  to  finish  my  cigar. 

Miss  Primrose  did  not  appear  at  tiffin,  the 
bell  for  which  was  rung  at  one  o'clock.  The 
General  on  taking  his  seat  missed  her  from  his 
side,  rose  and  walked  with  ramrod-like  erect- 
ness  to  her  berth.  He  returned  in  a  few 
minutes,  and  I  heard  him  In  response  to  an 
Inquiry  from  Mrs.  Mowbray  exclaim  In  his 
hard  voice  of  command  that  "  ]\IIss  Primrose 
was  suffering  from  a  headache.''  That  was  all, 
and  he  at  once  fell  to  his  soup.  When  lunch 
was  ended  I  went  below  for  my  pipe  and  to- 
bacco— how  enormous  is  one's  consumption  of 
tobacco  at  sea !  but  what  else  can  one  do  but 
smoke  ? — and  to  inform  Mr.  Cunnlno-ham  that 
I    had    given  his  letter  to   Miss   Primrose.       I 


128  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  v 

found  him  stalking  about  the  cabin  with  the  air 
of  a  lunatic  in  a  padded  cell. 

"At  last!"  he  cried  as  I  entered.  "Gra- 
cious powers  !  how  long  the  time  has  been. 
What  have  you  to  tell  me  ?  " 

"  She  has  your  letter,"  I  answered. 

"  My  dear  fellow  ! "  he  exclaimed  grasping 
my  hand  with  a  squeeze  that  left  the  finger- 
ends  bloodless,  "how  can  I  thank  you  suffi- 
ciently ?  "  And  then  came  a  whole  broadside 
of  questions.  What  did  she  say  ?  How  had  I 
introduced  the  matter  ?  Did  she  immediately 
recognize  his  handwriting  ?  Having  satisfied 
him  on  these  and  a  score  or  two  of  other  points 
I  said  : 

"  You  will  of  course  expect  an  answer  from 
her  ?      Now  who  is  to  deliver  it  ?  " 

"  You,  you  !  "  he  cried  ;  "  you,  my  dear 
friend,  for  a  friend  indeed  you  have  proved  to 
her  and  to  me." 

"Well  now,  Mr.  Cunningham,"  said  I,  "I 
will  do  this  :  if  she  asks  me  to  give  you  a  letter 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  129 

I  will  bring  It  to  you  ;  but  that  done — no  more,  If 
you  please.  I  am  not  of  the  profession  that  is 
distinguished  for  cowardice  ;  but  all  the  same  I 
have  no  desire,  no  Intention  Indeed  to  run  foul 
of  General  Primrose  with  whom  I  must  neces- 
sarily be  locked  up  In  this  ship  for  the  next 
three  or  four  months.  The  voyage  will  inevit- 
ably be  dull  ;  it  mustn't  be  tragical." 

*'  Enable  me  this  once,"  he  cried,  ''to  receive 
a  reply  from  her,  and  I  shall  not  again  dream 
of  troubling  you." 

Well,  I  saw  no  more  of  Miss  Primrose  that 
afternoon  until  the  dinner  hour  came  round, 
and  it  was  in  the  moment  of  my  wondering 
whether  she  would  show  herself,  that  the  door 
of  her  cabin  opened  and  she  stepped  forth. 
Her  eyes  sought  me  ;  they  rested  on  my  face 
for  an  instant  only.  How  am  I  to  convey  the 
expression  of  them  ?  Was  It  delight  ?  Was  it 
gratitude  ?  P'^or  the  first  time  since  I  had 
beheld  her,  a  smile  lay  In  the  soft  depth  of  her 
gaze  like  a    light    there  ;  a   delicate   smile   too 

K 


I30  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  ^       v 

eave  a  new  character  of  sweetness  to  her 
beauty  as  her  glance  for  a  heart-beat  or  two 
met  mine.  You  would  have  supposed  her 
visited  and  possessed  by  a  new  spirit.  There 
was  an  elasticity  in  her  movements,  a  life  in  her 
manner  of  looking,  a  suggestion  of  freedom, 
of  liberty  operating  in  her  as  an  impulse  in  her 
whole  bearing  and  especially  in  the  carriage  of 
her  head,  as  she  went  round  the  table  to  her 
chair  and  seated  herself. 

"No  headache  now,"  thought  I,  ''and  no 
heartache  either  seemingly  ! "  I  watched  the 
General  as  he  took  his  place.  Without  turning 
his  head  he  seemed  to  take  a  view  of  her  out 
of  the  corners  of  his  eyes,  sending  his  black 
and  searching  gaze  over  the  angry  white  curl 
of  the  moustache  upon  his  cheek  sheerly  to  her 
profile,  as  though  his  vision  were  a  corkscrew 
laterally  directed.  He  addressed  her  and  she 
responded.  He  was  clearly  surprised  by  the 
change  in  her,  and  I  observed  that  he  pricked 
his    ear  whilst    she  replied  to  the  sympathetic 


V  I    DELIVER    THE    LETTER  131 

questions  and  congratulations  of  the  people  at 
her  end  of  the  table.  Indeed,  there  was  a 
clear  rincr  in  her  voice  as  she  answered  that 
the  headache  was  much  better — that  it  had 
been  wholly  due  she  believed  to  the  motion  of 
the  ship  ;  in  a  word,  responding  at  length  and 
fixing  her  eyes  upon  those  she  addressed  with 
lineerino:"  smiles  which  warranted  them  of  the 
heart. 

"  Well  now,"  thought  I  to  myself,  ''  what 
will  this  remarkable  change  in  her  be  attributed 
to  ?"  It  was  a  sort  of  comedy  in  its  way,  not 
without  a  quality  of  humour  sufficiently  defined 
to  bring  the  performance  perilously  close  to  the 
kind  of  pathos  w^e  look  for  in  tragedy.  I,  who 
of  all  that  company  alone  stood  behind  the 
scenes,  I,  who  knew  more  and  saw  more  than 
General  Primrose  himself,  watched  this  strange 
little  shipboard  play  with  an  interest  that  would 
have  been  impossible  had  the  rest  of  us  been 
in  the  secret.  Sir  Charles  spoke  little  ;  during 
the    intervals    of   the  meal  he  was    incessantly 

K  2 


132  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  v 

pulling  out  his  whiskers  or  curling  his  mous- 
tache, occasionally  glancing  askant  at  his 
daughter.  Puzzled  indeed  he  was  as  were 
others  too  for  the  matter  of  that.  The  ship's 
doctor,  whose  eyes  at  meal  times  were  inces- 
santly travelling  over  the  company,  whispered 
to  me  to  observe  the  improvement  in  Miss 
Primrose's  spirits. 

''Were  this  ship  a  hotel  ashore,  you  know, 
Swift,"  said  he,  with  the  tone  and  speech  of 
familiarity  that  I  disliked  in  him,  "  one  would 
suppose  Miss  Primrose  had  received  a  bit  of 
good  news — an  offer  of  marriage  from  a  noble- 
man, or  a  letter  from  a  firm  of  solicitors 
announcing  a  legacy  of  a  few  cool  thousands. 
But  what  can  happen  at  sea  to  improve  the 
animal  spirits  ?  The  cause  then  must  be 
physical.  It  may  be  a  mere  matter  of  nerves, 
some  abrupt  effect  of  oxygenation  of  blood. 
The  fact  is,  Swift,  we  are  wonderfully  and  fear- 
fully made.  The  wonderfulness  of  it  I  don't  mind, 
but  the  fearfulness  of  it  I  strongly  object  to." 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  133 

I  suffered  him  to  talk  himself  out,  and  wlien 
dinner  was  over  stepped  as  usual  into  the 
recess  under  the  forward  part  of  the  poop, 
where  I  was  joined  by  two  or  three  fellows, 
and  there  we  stood  talking  and  smoking.  The 
weather  had  improved  ;  there  were  a  few  lean 
stars  sliding  betwixt  the  squares  of  the  rigging, 
and  the  half-moon  floated  dim  and  moist  over 
our  waving  mast-heads,  with  a  weak  silver 
ring  around  her. 

"  How  deuced  sick  a  fellow  gets  of  hearing 
that  hissing  noise  of  water  alongside,"  ex- 
claimed one  of  my  companions,  Lieutenant 
Elphinstone.  "  I'd  rather  be  a  private  in  the 
Army  than  an  admiral  in  the   Navy." 

''  There  must  be  a  sort  of  music  in  that 
melancholy  noise  for  some  ears,"  said  another 
young  officer.  ''  Burton,  did  you  observe — 
Elphinstone  you  knaaw  can't  see — the  change 
in  a  certain  young  party  who  don't  sit  forty 
miles  off  from  the  General  ? " 

''Good    Ged,     yes,"    rejoined    Burton,    who 


134  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  v 

wore  an  eye-glass.  "What  d'ye  want  to  make 
out,  Cobb  ?  That  she's  got  a  fresh  stock  of 
spirits  in  through  her  cabin  port-hole  out  of 
what  Smithers  would  call  the  demmed  music  of 
the  waters  ?" 

''  Order,  order,"  whispered  Elphinstone,  and 
following  the  direction  of  his  eye  as  he  looked 
into  the  saloon  through  a  window  I  saw  Miss 
Primrose  approaching. 

There  was  nobody  in  sight  saving  the 
stewards  who  were  stripping  the  tables.  The 
clear  light  of  the  lamps  streamed  through  the 
windows  on  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  plainly 
disclosed  us  to  any  one  within.  I  imagined 
that  the  girl  on  seeing  me  would  pause,  as  a 
hint  for  me  to  approach,  making  sure  that  I 
should  Interpret  her  object  In  seeking  me  ;  and 
with  the  velocity  of  thought  I  figured  her 
embarrassment,  her  change  of  countenance, 
the  conflict  of  emotions  in  her  eyes,  as  she 
tremblingly  handed  me  her  reply  to  her  sweet- 
heart's note.     Greatly  to  my  astonishment  she 


''THESE    ARE   THE    LINES    YOU    WERE   ADMIRING    SO    MUCH 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  137 

Stepped  through  the  door  on  to  the  open  deck, 
her  head  uncovered  and  her  luxuriant  hair 
trembHng  in  the  lamphght  in  dull  gold  to  the 
shrewd  draughty  sweep  of  the  wind  in  the 
recess,  and  said  : 

"  I  thought  I  should  find  you  here,  Captain 
Swift.  These  are  the  lines  you  were  admiring 
so  much,"  and  so  saying,  she  put  a  letter  into 
my  hand,  and  with  a  sweet  smile  and  easy 
bow  re-entered  the  saloon,  giving  me  no  time 
indeed  to  act  any  part  even  if  astonishment 
had  not  rendered  an  instant  assumption  im- 
possible. 

My  companions'  surprise,  though  proceeding 
from  a  different  cause,  equalled  mine.  They 
had  never  before  seen  me  speak  to  this  girl — 
this  daughter  of  General  Sir  Charles  Primrose, 
whom  we  addressed  as  "  Sir,"  and  viewed 
from  afar  with  emotions  of  awe ;  they  had 
believed,  as  I  knew  in  fact,  that  she  held  her- 
self almost  as  much  apart  so  to  speak  as  my 
mysterious,     and     to    them    utterly    unknown, 


138  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  v. 

fellow  passenger ;  and  now  they  had  beheld 
her  smiling  sweetly  upon  me,  handing  me  some 
verses,  or  some  sentences  of  prose  copied  by 
her  own  hand,  suggesting  indeed  a  degree  of 
positive  intimacy  by  her  careless  manner  of 
coming  out  without  her  hat,  and  by  her  swift 
but  sweetly  managed  retreat,  as  though  she 
had  been  scared  by  the  sight  of  them,  and 
would  have  stayed  had  they  been  away. 

"  By  Ged  then !  "  said  young  Elphinstone, 
"  it's  altogether  a  doocid  deal  too  killing,  d'ye 
knaaw.  How  on  earth  have  you  managed  it, 
Swift  ?  Into  what  holes  and  corners  have  you 
been  getting  that  no  fellow  has  had  a  sight  of 
you  and  her  together  ? " 

"  I  say,  Swift,"  drawled  Burton,  "  what  is 
It,  poetry  ?  Read  it  out  like  a  good  fellow. 
Hane  me  if  I  shouldn't  like  to  know  what  she 
admires  in  verse." 

I  threw  my  unfinished  cigar  overboard  and 
stepped  below  to  get  rid  of  them,  though  I 
might  well  believe  that  my  absence  would  only 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  139 

improve  their  opportunity  to  indulge  their 
astonishment  in  conjectures  and  opinions. 
And  the  fellows  talked  with  such  a  mess-room 
drawl,  in  voices  so  heedless  of  those  who 
might  be  near,  that,  thought  I  to  myself,  as  I 
m.ade  my  way  to  ■Mr.  Cunningham's  berth, 
nothing  more  is  needed  to  exquisitely  compli- 
cate this  sino^ular  sea-sfoinof  drama  than  the 
over-hearing  of  those  young  fellows'  conversa- 
tion by  Sir  Charles  or  by  some  one  who  should 
repeat  what  he  hears  to  him. 

Mr,  Cunningham  sat  in  his  Madeira  arm- 
chair smoking  a  cigar  as  usual,  with  a  bottle  of 
champagne  on  the  deck  at  his  side.  I  extended 
the  letter  and  he  sprang  to  receive  it. 

"  A  million  thanks,"  he  cried,  and  his  hand 
trembled  with  eagerness  as  without  another 
word  he  opened  the  envelope  and  stepped 
close  to  the  bracket  lamp  to  read. 

It  was  a  letter  of  four  or  five  sheets,  crossed 
and  recrossed,  and  so  absorbed  was  he  by  it, 
smiling  all  the  while,  sometimes  nodding,   and 


Uo  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  v 

once  pausing  with  a  sigh  that  resembled  a 
groan,  to  press  It  to  his  Hps,  that  he  suffered 
me  to  depart  without  making  the  least  sign 
or  removing  his  eyes  from  the  thickly  scrawled 
page. 

I  returned  an  hour  later,  having  spent  most 
of  the  time  between  in  reading  a  magazine 
that  I  had  found  upon  a  sofa  in  the  saloon. 
Mr.  Cunningham  was  clothed  in  his  theatrical 
cloak  ;  the  shawl  about  his  neck  rose  to  his 
nostrils,  and  his  soft  felt  wideawake  was  pulled 
down  over  his  eyebrows  so  that  there  was 
nothing  more  to  see  of  him  than  his  nose.  He 
freed  his  mouth  to  speak,  and  exclaimed,  *'  I 
have  not  thanked  you  nearly  enough  for  your 
kindness." 

"  Indeed  you  have,"  said  I.  "  Pray  say  no 
more  about  it.  The  rest  you  will  be  able  to 
manage,  and  I  heartily  hope  you  will  make  a 
good  ending  of  this  romantic  business." 

"  When  did  she  give  you  the  letter  ? "  he 
asked,  "  and  how  did  she  contrive  to  do  so  ?  " 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  141 

I  told  him  very  honestly  all  that  had  passed 
and  added  that  I  was  astonished  by  her  cool- 
ness and  self-possession. 

*•' Ay  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "love  will  make  won- 
derful heroines  of  girls !  What  courage  ! 
what  invention  !  How  much  better  under  the 
circumstances  the  boldness  that  amazed  you 
than  the  reluctant  approach  !  And  yet  there 
is  not  a  timider  creature  than  my  sweet  girl. 
Indeed,  I  have  grieved  that  she  cannot  com- 
mand more  resolution  ;  she  would  then  be 
able  to  hold  her  father  in  check,  have  some- 
thing of  her  way  with  him,  even  in  spite  of 
the  endevilment  of  the  old  coxcomb — "  He 
broke  off,  and  looking  down  himself,  exclaimed 
in  a  changed  voice,  "  Are  there  many  people 
in  the  saloon  ? " 

-A  few." 

"Is  the  General  amono^st  them?" 

''  No.'" 

"  I  am  QToincr  on  deck,"  said  he,  "  to  breathe 
the  air." 


142  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  v 

''There  are  a  few  men,  I  believe,"  said  I, 
"hanging  about  the  entrance  to  the  cabin." 

"No  matter,"  he  answered,  "let  them  look 
and  let  them  think.  There's  little  enough 
to   see.     Will  you  accompany  me  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  I  may  join  you  later  on. 
I  presume  you'll  station  yourself  at  the  galley 
as  before.  But  if  I  am  seen  to  pass  through 
the  saloon  with  you,  I  shall  be  pestered  with 
questions,  and  I  have  made  up  my  mind  not 
to  know  anything,  not  more  for  your  sake  than 
for  my  own.  There  are  many  young  fellows 
on  board  who  are  loose  talkers  and  noisy  in 
their  chaff  Their  badinage  may  prove  dan- 
gerous ;  their  references  to  you  may  tempt  the 
General  into  inquiries — and  you  will  forgive 
me  for  saying — that  I  must  positively  meddle 
no  further  with  your  affairs." 

"  Not  meddle  !  "  he  cried  in  a  cordial  voice 
whilst  his  fine  eyes  shone  with  the  grateful 
and  cheerful  smile  that  was  else  concealed  by 
his  shawl  and  hat.      "  Do  not  speak  of  yourself 


V  I    DELIVER   THE    LETTER  143 

as  a  meddler.  You  have  acted  the  part  of 
a  true  friend.  But  you  are  right.  We  must 
not  be  seen  together."' 

He  opened  the  door  and  passed  out.  I 
followed  in  about  ten  minutes,  and  walked  to 
the  recess  and  found  it  vacant.  The  few  people 
in  the  saloon  were  assembled  in  the  after-part, 
and  as  the  hatch  through  which  Mr.  Cunning- 
ham had  passed  lay  well  in  the  fore-part  of 
the  interior  it  was  as  likely  as  not  that  he 
had  not  been  noticed.  As  I  paused  in  the 
recess  with  my  eye  at  the  window  the  General, 
Colonel  Mowbray,  and  two  others  came  to 
the  table  and  seated  themselves  for  a  rubber. 


VI 

THE  genp:ral  questions  me 

When  I  went  to  my  cabin  on  the  night  of 
this  same  day  that  I  have  been  writing  about 
I  found  a  boathook  in  my  bunk.  A  pole  eight 
feet  long  with  a  spike  and  an  iron  hook  at  the 
end  of  it  is  an  odd  thing  to  find  in  one's  bed. 
I  picked  it  up  and  was  about  to  put  it  In  the 
passage  outside  where  the  steward  would  find 
it  and  remove  it  when  Mr.  Cunningham,  whom 
I  had  found  in  bed  and  who  I  thought  was 
asleep,   called  out  : 

"  Pray  let  that  boathook  remain.  It  has 
cost  me  some  trouble  to  smuggle  it  here." 


VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    :\1E  145 

''  I   found  it  in  my  bed,"  said   L 

"  I  heartily  apologize,"  he  exclaimed ;  "  I 
thought  I  had  put  it  in  the  corner  with  my 
bundle  of  sticks  and  umbrella." 

It  was  not  my  business  to  inquire  his  motive 
in  adding  a  boathook  to  the  slender  stock  of 
cabin  furniture  ;  but  one  thing  I  guessed  :  that 
there  must  be  some  one  on  board — probably 
one  of  the  crew — who  was  willing  to  serve 
him  ;  because  the  boathook  belonged  to  one 
of  the  quarter-boats  ;  and  the  four  quarter- 
boats  swung  from  davits  over  the  edge  of  the 
poop  ;  so  that  as  Mr.  Cunningham  was  not 
likely  to  have  shown  himself  upon  the  poop 
some  one  must  have  sneaked  aft  and  abstracted 
the  boathook  for  him.  , 

But  it  was  not  lono^  before  I  discovered  the 
use  he  designed  the  boathook  for.  It  was 
next  day  indeed,  during  the  afternoon,  that  on 
entering  the  berth  I  found  him  standing  at 
the  open  porthole  with  his  watch  in  one  hand 
and  the    boathook    in    the    other.       The    wind 


146  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

was  off  the  beam  on  the  side  of  our  cabin 
and  the  heel  of  the  hull  rose  the  window  above 
the  sea  line  so  that  you  saw  nothing  but  the 
piebald  sky  through  it.  It  had  been  a  day 
of  quiet  weather  ;  and  the  ship  was  sliding 
pleasantly  at  some  eight  knots  in  the  hour 
over  the  wide  Atlantic  heave  that  was  scarred 
into  lines  of  small  billows  by  the  brushing  of 
the  wind.  Scarcely  guessing  what  he  would  be 
at,  yet  judging  that  he  wished  to  be  private 
I   was  about  to  withdraw. 

''  No,  no,  pray  remain,"  he  said,  ''  I  have 
no  secrets  from  you.  What  time  do  you  make 
it?" 

I  looked  at  my  watch  and  gave  him  the 
hour — that  is  the  time  by  the  clock  in  the 
saloon. 

''  Quite  right,"  said  he,  and  pocketing  his 
watch  he  stood  gazing  intently  through  the 
porthole. 

I  watched  him  with  curiosity,  not  in  the 
least  knowing  what  to  expect.     On   a  sudden 


VI  THE   GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  147 

he  Uttered  an  exclamation  and  quickly  thrust- 
ing the  boathook  through  the  porthole,  he 
carefully  but  dexterously  hauled  in  a  length  of 
thin  line  at  the  extremity  of  which  was  a  letter, 
folded  very  small,  weighted  by  a  piece  of  stuff 
which  I  afterwards  discovered  to  be  a  lump 
of  holystone.  He  removed  the  letter,  thrice 
pulled  the  string  or  length  of  twine  as  a  signal, 
and  the  attached  piece  of  stone  lying  in  the 
port  was  jerked  out  and  drawn  upwards  past 
the  rim  of  the  mizzen  channel. 

I  guessed  by  the  flush  in  his  face  and  the 
sparkle  in  his  eye  that  the  letter  was  the  first 
of  these  strategic  communications.  He  shot 
a  glance  of  triumph  at  me  and  eagerly  read 
the  missive. 

''What  think  you  of  my  idea  of  an  ocean 
post-offlce  ? "  said  he,  folding  up  the  letter  and 
stowing  it  away  in  his  pocket  as  carefully  as 
though  It  had  been  a  thousand  pound  Bank 
of  Eno^land  note. 

"Why,"   said   I,    who  had   viewed   this    ma- 

L  2 


148  A    STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vi 

ncEuvre  with  no  little  astonishment,  "  I  think 
the  device  a  very  ingenious  one.  It  must  tax 
the  young  lady's  cleverness  however  so  to  cast 
her  weighted  letter  through  the  porthole  as  to 
insure  it  falling  over  the  edge  of  that  platform 
up  there." 

*'  She  manages  it  nevertheless,"  said  he. 
"That  platform  provides  us  with  the  very 
shelter  we  desire.  The  stone  passes  swiftly 
through  the  window — too  swiftly  for  the  detec- 
tion of  any  eye  that  may  be  looking  over  the 
side  ;  and  it  might  dangle  for  hours  and  for 
days  under  that  channel  without  being  seen 
from  any  part  of  the  ship's  bulwarks." 

My  desire  to  share  as  little  as  possible  in 
this  strange,  romantic  business  held  me  reti- 
cent, otherwise  my  curiosity  was  active  enough 
to  have  tempted  me  into  several  inquiries. 
As  I  made  my  way  on  to  the  deck  again  I 
found  myself  smiling  as  I  wondered  what  Sir 
Charles's  sensations  would  be  had  he  been  an 
unobserved    spectator    of    this    boathook-and- 


VI 


THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  149 


catch-letter    proceeding.      Miss    Primrose   was 
manifestly  a  very  resolved  young  lady.     There 
was  real  audacity  in  her  conduct  now.      Who 
would  suspect  so  much  of  heroic  will  lay  hid- 
den   in    such    a     perfectly    feminine,    such   an 
adorably  feminine  aspect  of  modesty,  sweetness, 
melancholy,  timidity  as  one  and  all  of  us  pas- 
sengers   witnessed    in    her  ?      That    piece    of 
holystone  !       She    must    have    obtained    it    by 
some  strategy — feigned  an  Interest  in  the  stuff 
and  asked  to  look  at  a  piece  of  it  on  hearing 
that  the  sailors  whitened   the  decks  by  scrub- 
bing the  planks  with  the   stone.      "And  what 
will    the    issue     be?"     I    remember    thinking. 
"Will    all    this    sincerity    of    passion    end    in 
forcing    the    hand    of   the   General  ?     Is   he   a 
man    to   be    coaxed    into    compliance   by   such 
secret   conspiracies,  such   dark,  underhand   de- 
vices as   he   has  compelled   this   couple   to  be 
guilty   of?"      One    had    only   to    think    of   his 
face    to    say    "  A^^  / "   to    that   fancy   with    the 
utmost  emphasis. 


I50  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

And  now  there  went  by  a  week  with  nothing 
in  it  that  deserves  chronichng.  We  penetrated 
the  warm  and  sparkHng  parallels,  caught  the 
strong  breath  of  the  north-east  trade  wind  in 
the  overhanging  wings  of  studding  sails,  and 
the  noble  ship  drove  along  day  and  night, 
night  and  day,  veining  the  sea  astern  of  her 
with  a  wake  of  liquid  pearl  and  smiting  the 
blue  billows  with  her  coppered  forefoot  into 
yeast  that  was  made  radiant  at  intervals  by  the 
gossamer-like  gleam  of  flying-fish.  Once  or 
twice  after  dark  during  this  week  I  had  spied 
the  shadow  of  Mr.  Cunningham  looming  tall 
in  the  obscurity  to  leeward  of  the  galley  and 
had  joined  him  for  a  talk  of  ten  minutes  or  so  ; 
but  my  anxiety  not  to  be  implicated  in  any 
measures  his  love  might  suggest  to  him  ren- 
dered me  very  wary  and  brief  in  these  ap- 
proaches. One  night  indeed  I  found  him  so 
busily  occupied  in  conversing  with  two  or  three 
sailors  that  he  remained  unconscious  of  my 
presence  ;  he  seemed  to  look  towards  me,  yet 


VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ^lE  151 

went  on  addressing  the  men  with  energy 
though  in  a  very  subdued  voice  ;  on  w^hich  I 
strolled  aft  again  wondering  what  on  earth  he 
could  find  In  a  mere  chat  with  two  or  three 
commonplace  Jacks  to  so  deeply  engage  and 
interest  him.  I  never  again  offered  to  join 
him  on  deck. 

From  Miss  Primrose  I  would  reofularlv  re- 
ceive  a  faint  smile  or  a  sllo^ht  bow  when  she 
arrived  at  meal  times  or  if  she  ascended  to 
the  poop  deck  when  I  was  there ;  but  these 
courtesies  were  absolutely  without  any  further 
significance  than  to  the  general  eye  they  were 
intended  to  express.  I  do  not  doubt  that  Mr. 
Cunningham  had  carefully  advised  her  In  his 
boathook-and-porthole-correspondence  ;  that  he 
had  repeated  my  strongly-expressed  wish  that 
my  name  should  not  In  any  way  be  mixed  up 
in  his  romantic  undertaking ;  so  that  her  cold 
and  colourless  deportment  would  be  due  to  his 
written  admonitions.  Yet  so  inconsistent  is 
the  mind  that  whilst  on  the  one  hand    I   was 


152  A  STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

sincerely  rejoiced  that  she  should  favour  me 
with  as  wide  a  berth  as  she  gave  the  rest  of 
us  men,  on  the  other  my  vanity  was  piqued 
by  what  I  considered  a  sort  of  ingratitude  in 
her.  I  would  sometimes  think  that  I  merited 
something  more  than  a  bow  that  was  only 
reclaimed  from  stiffness  by  its  elegance  ;  that 
in  short  some  glow  of  feeling  should  illumi- 
nate the  beautiful  eyes  she  directed  at  me, 
that  something  of  warmth,  of  cordiality  should 
colour  the  smile  which  she  occasionally  bestowed 
upon  me.  Yet  it  was  very  well  as  it  was, 
as  my  good  sense  would  note  when  I  observed 
the  manner  in  which  I  was  watched  by  Burton 
and  young  Elphinstone  and  others  of  the 
young  jokers  who  swelled  our  military  com- 
pany aft.  I  well  knew,  not  by  seeing  only 
but  by  hearing  also,  that  the  news  of  ''  those 
lines  Swift  admires  so  much,  you  knaaw," 
having  been  copied  by  Miss  Primrose  and 
given  to  me  had  gone  the  rounds ;  and  many 
a  thirsty  glance  did  I  detect  if  Miss  Primrose 


VI  THE   GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  153 

came  on  deck   when    I   was  there,   or   on   any 
other  occasion  of  our  exchanmnof  a  bow. 

I  was  one  morning  smoking  a  cigar  to  lee- 
ward of  the  wheel,  which  I  need  hardly  say — 
though  to  be  sure  this  Is  the  age  of  steamboats 
and  "amidship  steering-gear" — was  fixed  at 
the  after-end  of  the  poop-deck  with  nothing 
behind  It  and  the  taffrall  save  a  wide  spread  of 
sand- white  grating.  It  was  a  clear,  brilliant 
morning,  the  sun  soaring  with  a  growing  fierce- 
ness of  sting  In  its  bite  ;  but  the  coolness  of 
the  fresh  ocean  breeze  was  in  the  violet  shadow- 
under  the  long  stretch  of  snow-white  awning. 
It  was  shortly  after  breakfast  ;  a  few  people 
lounged  here  and  there,  but  this  part  of  the 
ship  was  comparatively  deserted.  From  the 
main-deck  resounded  the  sharply-uttered  orders 
of  a  non-commissioned  officer  drilling  a  number 
of  the  soldiers.  The  mate  In  charge  of  the 
ship  paced  a  little  space  of  the  poop  near  the 
weather  ladder. 

I  was  gazing  with  admiration  at  the  gleam- 


154  A  STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vi 

ing  canvas  of  a  vessel  rendered  toylike  by 
distance  when  the  companion  way  suddenly 
framed  the  formidable  countenance  of  Sir 
Charles  Primrose.  As  he  arose,  I  expected 
to  see  his  daughter  behind  him,  instead  of 
which  there  appeared  the  grotesque  figure  of 
Captain  Stagg.  Without  the  pause  of  an  in- 
stant as  for  reflection,  the  General  accom- 
panied by  the  little  skipper  marched  right  up 
to  me. 

"  Good  morning,"  he  exclaimed  in  his  loud 
emphatic  voice  of  command. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,"   I   answered. 

*'  I  should  like  a  word  with  you,  Captain 
Swift." 

"  With  pleasure." 

He  cast  a  look  at  the  man  at  the  wheel  who 
was  close  by.  "  Pray  step  a  little  this  way," 
said  he,  and  the  three  of  us — and  I  saw  that 
Stagg  was  to  be  of  our  party — moved  to  a 
vacant  part  of  the  deck.  *'  I  understand," 
began   the   General   standing   in   his  towering, 


VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  155 

erect  way  and  looking  at  me  over  his  stiff  high 
cravat,  "  that  you  share  a  cabin  with  a  gentle- 
man named   Pellew  ?  " 

*'*  Mr.  Godfrey  Pellew,  Sir  Charles,"  broke 
in  Captain  Stagg  :  "that's  what  he's  down  as 
in  the  Passengers'   List." 

"  Now,  sir,"  continued  the  General,  "  I  want 
you  to  tell  me  if  you  have  any  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  Pellew  is  not'' — he  thundered  out 
this  word  not — "your  fellow  passenger's  real 
name." 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  equivocate. 
1  deplored  the  obligation,  but  ]\Ir.  Cunning- 
ham had  pledged  me  to  secrecy  and  my  answer 
therefore  must  protect  him. 

"  Is  there  any  reason  to  doubt  that  his  name 
is   Pellew  ? "    I   exclaimed    addressing   Captain 

Stagg. 

"  Sir  Charles  believes  the  gentleman  to  be 
somebody  else,"  responded  the  skipper. 

"  I  have  reason  to  suspect  that  his  name  is 
Cunningham,"    exclaimed    the    General.      "  As 


156  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

his  cabin-fellow  you  will  often  have  conversed 
with  him,  some  remark  will  have  excited  your 
suspicion.  You  will  have  observed  the  initials 
on  his  linen  for  instance." 

"  This  really  concerns  you  more  than  me, 
Captain  Stagg,"  said   I. 

"If  the  safety  of  the  ship  isn't  threatened 
by  the  gentleman's  conduct  I  can't  possibly 
make  it  concern  me  that  I  can  see,"  rejoined 
Captain  Stagg.  "  As  I  have  explained  to  Sir 
Charles,  the  master  of  a  ship  has  got  nothing 
to  do  with  the  nairies  of  his  passengers.  Have 
they  paid  their  fares  ?  Do  they  conduct  them^ 
selves  properly  ?  If  the  master  of  a  ship  is 
answered  'yes  '  to  the  like  of  such  questions, 
then,"  he  added  with  an  emphatic  nod  at  me, 
"  I  don't  see  how  he  can  interfere  when  it 
comes  to  the  matter  of  the  company  of  one 
passenger  not  being  agreeable  to  the  taste 
of  another." 

Sir  Charles  listened  with  a  frown,  keeping 
his  eyes  fastened  with  their  habitual  expression 


vi  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ML  157 

of  fierceness  upon  the  round  face  and  distorted 
features  of  the  skipper.  He  waited  for  him  to 
cease,  then  addressed  me. 

"  Captain  Stagg  has  described  your  fellow 
passenger.  The  description  leaves  me  in  no 
doubt.  His  name  is  Cunningham.  Yet  I 
wish  to  be  perfectly  satisfied.  Will  you 
describe  him  to  me  ? " 

"  I  don't  know  how  better  to  put  him  before 
you,  sir,"  said  I,  "than  by  saying  that  without 
exception  he  is  the  handsomest  young  fellow  I 
ever  saw  In  my  life."  The  General  made  an 
angry  gesture.  "He  is  perfectly  well-bred,  he 
is  rather  taller  than  you  I  should  say,  a  mag- 
nificently built  man — "  I  paused  as  though  at  a 
loss  to  say  more. 

"  Why  does  not  he  show  himself  ? "  de- 
manded the  General. 

"  Did  not  he  explain  his  motive  to  you,  Cap- 
tain ?  "  said  I. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  rumbled  Stagg  in  a  voice  of  ill- 
temper.      "  He  said  he  wanted  to  keep  himself 


158  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  VI 

to  himself,  had  no  taste  for  company,  least  of 
all  for  soldiers.  His  name  may  be  Cunning- 
ham or  his  name  may  be  Pellew  for  all  I 
know ;  but  unless  you're  certain  of  your  man, 
Sir  Charles,  my  own  notion  is  he's  a  nobleman, 
some  real  Lord  with  a  fine  title,  travelling  for 
his  entertainment,  and  wishful  to  remain  un- 
known." 

''  Is  that  your  opinion  ? "  asked  the  General 
turning  upon  me  with  dignity  though  with  a 
face  full  of  irritability. 

'*  Really,  sir,  he  has  not  interested  me  so 
much  as  to  cause  me  to  speculate  about  him. 
I  seldom  visit  my  berth  in  the  daytime,  there- 
fore, we  meet  rarely ;  and  at  night  he  is 
commonly  in  bed  and  asleep  when  I  go  to  my 
cabin.  He  is  in  the  habit  of  coming  on  deck 
after  dusk  and  is  usually  I  think  to  be  found  on 
the  main-deck  yonder.  You  may  easily  satisfy 
your  doubts,  sir,  by  walking  forward  any  night 
when  he  is  on  deck  and  looking  at  him." 

He  bent  his  gimlet-like  eye  upon  me,  and  I 


I  MUST  INSIST,  SIR,"  HE  CRIED,  "'UPON  YOUR  ASCERTAINING 
WHO  THE  PERSON  IS  WHO  LIES  SKULKING  IN  HIS  CABIN 
13 1  LOW." 


VI  THE   GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  i6i 

seemed  to  feel  It  pierce  my  very  conscience. 
Passion  then  mastered  him,  and  he  whipped 
round  in  a  very  undignified  manner  upon 
StaQ^or. 

"I  must  insist,  sir,"  he  cried,  "upon  your 
ascertaining  who  the  person  is  who  Hes  skulk- 
ing in  his  cabin  below." 

"  What  am  I  to  do  ?  "  cried  Captain  Stagg. 
"  The  road  to  his  cabin's  all  plain  sailing,  Sir 
Charles.      Why  not   call   upon  him  yourself  ?  " 

**Sir,"  thundered  the  General,  heedless  of 
the  presence  of  the  people  on  the  deck,  who 
though  they  feigned  not  to  look  were  listening 
to  every  word  he  said,  "  you  are  commander 
of  this  ship  and  responsible  for  her  safety. 
There  is  a  man  skulking  below.  Who  is  he  ? 
You  do  not  know.  Sir,  it  is  your  duty  to 
know.  I  have  a  right  to  demand  in  my  own 
name  and  in  that  of  my  fellow-passengers," 
and  here  he  swept  the  deck  with  his  eyes, 
''  that  you  produce  this  secret  person,  who,  for 
all  you  can  tell  us  to  the  contrary,   may  be  an 


i62  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vi 

escaped  felon — a — a — murderer,  sir,— an— an 
— Incendiary,  sir,"  he  continued,  stammering 
with  temper,  "  a  fellow  whose  design  may  be 
to  make  a  hole  in  your  ship  and  sink  her  for 
some  purpose  of  horrible  revenge.  You  tell 
me  you  cannot  interfere  with  him  ? "  He 
directed  his  fiery  eye  at  a  group  of  soldiers 
who  were  watching  us  on  the  forecastle ;  but 
whatever  suggestion  came  to  him  from  them 
was  quickly  dismissed  as  a  notion  too  prepos- 
terous even  for  his  illogical  and  groping  mood 
of  wrath  to  entertain.  "  Send  a  company  of 
sailors  In  command  of  one  of  your  officers  to 
his  cabin,  and  If  he  still  declines  to  come  on 
deck,  have  him  dragged  up." 

"  Sir,"  exclaimed  Stagg  warmly,  his  face 
all  awork  with  the  conflict  of  sensations  excited 
by  the  General's  fierceness,  by  his  own  strug- 
gles to  maintain  an  air  of  respectfulness,  by 
his  disgust  at  being  thus  shouted  at  in  the 
hearing  of  the  passengers  and  the  man  at  the 
wheel,    "  I    know  my    duty    as    commander  of 


VI  THE    GENERAL   QUESTIONS    ME  163 

this  ship,  and  I  know,  sir,  that  that  duty  don't 
include  the  dragging  of  gentlemen,  who  have 
paid  their  passage-money,  out  of  their  cabins 
by  a  company  of  sailors  in  charge  of  a  mate. 
There  are  soldiers  aboard,  sir,  and  you're  a 
general  ;  and  if  you  like  to  take  it  upon  your- 
self to  order  a  file  of  them  red-coats  to  bring 
Mr.  Pellew  on  deck  ao^ainst  his  will,  whv,  Sir 
Charles,  you  may  do  it  if  you  like  ;  but  if 
Mr.  Pellew  comes  to  me  and  makes  a 
grievance  of  the  force  displayed,  then  my 
duty  will  be  to  protect  him  as  a  passenger  and 
to  request  the  officer  in  command  of  those 
troops  to  clap  the  fellows  who  went  below  in 
irons  so  as  to  keep  them  out  of  mischief  for 
the  future.  And  if  the  officer  refused  to  do  it 
/  should  have  to  do  It." 

The  General  without  a  word  marched  to 
the  companion  hatch   and  went   below. 

*'  Did  any  man  ever  hear  the  like  of  such  a 
thing  ? "  cried  Stagg,  talking  loudly  with  a 
mingled   air  of  consternation  and    passion,  and 

M     2 


i64  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vi 

intending  his  words  as  much  for  the  ears  of 
the  others  on  the  poop  as  for  mine,  "  that  a 
high-bred  gentleman  hke  Sir  Charles  should 
dictate  to  me  aboard  my  own  ship — a  soldier, 
too,  ignorant  of  nautical  duties  ! — that  because 
he's  got  some  notion  the  gentleman  isn't  the 
gentleman  he  calls  himself  /';;2  to  send  som.e 
of  my  sailors  below  to  have  him  dragged  up 
as   if — as  if^ — '' 

But  my  identification  with  this  curious  busi- 
ness was  already  much  too  marked  for  my  taste 
as  it  was,  so  I  left  him  to  splutter  out  the  rest 
of  his  rage  to  the  people  at  whom  he  was 
looking,  and  stepped  below  on  to  the  quarter- 
deck. 

Such  exaggeration  of  resentment,  such 
public  and  undignified  disclosure  of  exces- 
sive temper,  could  only  signify  that  the 
General  had  plumbed  the  mystery  of  Mr. 
''  Pellevv,"  and  that  the  suspicion  amounting  to 
detection  had  set  his  heart  on  fire  and  his 
brain  at  its  wits'  ends.      What  was  he  now  to 


VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  165 

do  ?  Would  he  lock  his  daughter  up  ? 
No — he  dared  not  venture  that.  The  know- 
ledge that  she  was  imprisoned  by  him  would 
determine  the  passengers  to  render  his  life 
a  burthen,  and  that,  let  me  assure  you,  spite 
of  his  distinguished  mllltar}^  position  and 
forbidding  countenance,  they  would  one  and 
all  have  been  very  easily  able  to  contrive 
through  the  ceaseless  and  countless  oppor- 
tunities of  shipboard  association. 

It  soon  got  wind  that  he  had  been  In  a 
passion  on  the  poop,  and  the  reason  of  It 
as  a  piece  of  news  in  going  from  mouth  to 
mouth,  was  laughably  exaggerated.  In  fact 
a  young  officer  came  to  me  and  asked  me 
with  a  grave  face  to  settle  the  matter  as  It 
involved  a  bet  of  a  couple  of  guineas. 

*'Was  It  not  you.  Swift,  and  not  the  queer 
chap  who  shares  your  berth,  whom  the  General 
quarrelled  with  for  falling  in  love  with  his 
daughter  ?  " 

This  same  young  fellow,  however,  gave  me 


166  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  VI 

one  item  of    intelligence  ;    that   Miss  Primrose 
was  no  longer  to  sleep  alone. 

''  Who  is  to  be  her  companion,  do  you 
know  ?  " 

"  Her  maid,"  said  he.  ''  I  met  a  couple  of 
stewards  lugging  a  mattress  up  from  below, 
and  asked  them  what  was  the  matter,  and 
they  told  me  it  was  Miss  Primrose's  maid's 
bedding,  and  that  the  woman  was  going 
to  sleep  with  her  mistress  for  the  future. 
Next  thing'll  be  a  sentry  with  a  loaded  musket 
outside  her  door,  I  suppose." 

All  this  time  the  weather  was  wonderfully 
fine,  the  breeze  strong  and  steady  on  the 
quarter,  and  the  ship  averaging  some  two 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  in  the  twenty-four 
hours.  I  went  to  rest  late  on  this  night  of 
the  day  on  which  Sir  Charles  had  questioned 
me.  A  eame  of  chess,  of  which  I  was,  and 
still  am  a  great  lover,  had  detained  me  at 
the  saloon  table  beyond  my  usual  hour  ;  we, 
however,    who   occupied   the   after-part   of  the 


VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  167 

ship  were  much  Indulged  ;  the  lamps  for 
Instance  were  never  extinguished  until  the 
last  of  us  had  withdrawn ;  and  up  to  the 
hour  of  midnight  the  steward  was  permitted 
to  serve  us  with  refreshments.  But  midnight 
was  the  limit  ;  after  that  hour  the  ship  floated  on 
the  calm  sea  or  fled  through  the  w^Indy  night  In 
darkness,  and  the  pop  and  gush  of  the  soda- 
water  bottle  ceased,  unless,  perhaps,  down  In 
my  obscure  part  of  the  ship  a  dim  explosion 
gave  the  listeners  to  know  that  one  of  the 
*''afficers"  was  making  himself  happy  with 
a  secret  If  not  a  final  "  nightcap." 

It  was  some  little  time  before  tw^elve  o'clock 
when  I  got  to  my  cabin  ;  but  Mr.  Cunningham 
w^as  not  In  his  bunk.  I  concluded  that  he 
was  still  haunting  that  black  part  of  the 
deck  which  was  to  leeward  of  the  galley, 
and  undressed  myself  The  atmosphere  was 
hot  despite  the  open  porthole — the  cabin  Indeed 
being  to  leeward  ;  nor  though  the  ear  found 
the  sound  grateful,  was  there  any  refreshment 


i68  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

for  the  flesh  In  the  cool,  fountain-Hke  seething 
of  the  foam  expiring  along  the  ship's  side, 
or  twistino^  into  an  arrow-like  wake  of  snow. 
I  put  my  face  into  the  porthole  to  cool  my 
heated  cheeks,  and  on  a  sudden  caught  a 
noise  as  of  the  shuffling  of  feet  upon  the 
channel  or  platform  outside.  I  supposed 
that  some  sailor  had  jumped  into  the  chains 
to  clear  away  a  rope.  Still,  the  prolonged 
absence    of    Mr.    Cunninorham    renderinor    me 

o  o 

suspicious  in  a  vague  sort  of  way,  I  continued 
to  listen,  scarce  knowing  what  next  I  might 
hear  ;  but  if  ever  any  sound  again  came  from 
the  mizzen  channel  it  was  whelmed  by  the 
hiss  of  the  rushing  brine. 

In  about  twenty  minutes'  time  the  door 
opened  and  Mr.  Cunningham  stepped  in 
draped  as  usual  in  his  immense  coat  and 
slouched  brigand-like  hat.  He  flung  the 
weighty  garment  from  him  with  an  air  of 
loathing  as  though  half  dead  with  the  heat, 
and  observing  me  to  be  awake,  he  exclaimed, 


VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  169 

whilst  he  flourished  a  handkerchief  over  his 
face  : 

''  Such  a  masquerade  becomes  unbearable 
in  a  dog-day  atmosphere  of  this  sort." 

"  You  appear  to  have  been  exerting  yourself," 
said  I. 

"  And  so  I  have,"  he  answered  ;  "  I  have 
been  risking  my  life  indeed." 

He  produced  a  bottle  of  champagne  from 
a  chest  of  drawers,  and  after  offering  me  a 
drauorht  of   it  swallowed    a    tumblerful    of   the 


wine. 


''  I  was  within  an  ace  of  going  overboard," 
said  he,  applying  his  handkerchief  to  his 
moustache  and  sinking  into  his  Madeira 
chair.  *'  I  must  not  again  attempt  such  a 
feat   in   that  infernal   cloak." 

"  What  have  you  been  doing  ?  " 

"  I  received  no  letter  to-day  and  wished  to 
know  the  reason  of  Miss  Primrose's  silence,  so 
I  got  Into  what  I  think  you  call  the  main-chains, 
where  the  rigging  comes  together  thickly,  and 


I70  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

where  the  shadow  Is  so  deep  that  I  defy  any 
one  who  Is  not  keeping  a  bright  lookout  on  the 
poop,  to  observe  a  figure  cautiously  creeping 
over  the  side.  I  wished  to  make  my  way  to 
that  platform,"  said  he,  pointing  In  the  direc- 
tion of  the  mizzen-channel,  ''  and  I  succeeded  In 
doing  so,  though  I  can't  conceive  now  how  I 
managed  It,  for  the  beading  along  the  side — do 
you  call  It  beading  ?  but  no  matter — did  not  cer- 
tainly project  an  Inch,  and  I  could  find  no  other 
support  for  my  toes.  Fortunately,  my  height 
enabled  me  to  keep  a  good  hold  of  the  rail,  but 
that  confounded  cloak  was  as  though  I  were 
carrying  several  men  on  my  back." 

•'  You  might  very  easily  have  gone  over- 
board," said  I. 

"  I  very  nearly  did  go  overboard,"  he  replied. 
"  I  believe  I  shall  not  make  a  second  attempt 
of  the  same  sort,"  said  he,  laughing  softly, 
and  toying  with  his  cigar  case  as  though 
debatlno-  whether  he  should  light  a  cheroot 
or  not. 


■  FORTUNATELY,  MY  HEIGHT  ENABLED  ME  TO  KEEP  A  GOOD  HOLD 
OF  THE  RAIL,  BUT  THAT  CONFOUNDED  CLOAK  WAS  AS  THOUGH 
I   WERE   CARRYING   SEVERAL   MEN    ON    MY    BACK." 


I 

VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  173 

"  Then  it  must  have  been  you  that  I  heard 
just  now  ? "' 

"  Quite  hkely,"  he  answered. 

*'  I  suppose  you  now  know  that  Miss  Prim- 
rose's maid  shares  her  berth  with  her  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  now  know  that.  Still  my  adventure 
was  perfectly  successful.  Miss  Primrose,  you 
see,  sleeps  as  you  do  on  the  top  shelf,  and  her 
maid  lies  in  the  under  bunk.  A  whispered  con* 
versation  blends  harmoniously  with  the  hiss  of 
the  foam.  And  then  we  had  reason  to  suppose 
that  the  maid  was  asleep." 

He  now  lighted  a  cheroot  and  sat  gazing  at 
me  thoughtfully. 

*'  Have  you  heard,"  said  I,  "  that  the  General 
questioned  me  about  you  this  morning  ?  " 

"No.  Who  is  to  o^ive  me  the  news  but 
you  ?  My  time  outside  just  now  was  all  too 
brief  to  obtain  information  of  that  sort." 

"He  questioned  me  angrily  ;  as  good  as 
ordered  the  commander  of  the  ship  to  send  a 
number  of  sailors  here   to   hoist  you  on   deck. 


174  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vi 

He  knows  who  you  are.  He  called  you  Cun- 
ningham. His  putting  the  maid  to  sleep  with 
her  mistress  proves  he  has  found  you  out." 

^'  I  hope  he  was  not  very  rude,"  he  exclaimed, 
unemotionally,  with  a  demeanour  of  coolness 
indeed  that  astonished  me  as  I  had  imagined 
the  news  would  irritate  or  alarm  him. 

"  His  temper  made  his  speech  objectionable," 
said  I.  ''Now  that  he  knows  you  are  on 
board  I  presume  you  will  show  yourself  on 
deck  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  replied.  "  I  am  very  comfortable 
here — as  snug  and  lonely  as  a  maggot  in  its 
nut.  The  General  w^ould  not  permit  Miss 
Primrose  and  me  to  be  together.  I  must  there- 
fore keep  away  from  the  poop,  or  endure  the 
misery  of  fearing  that  her  health  suffered  from 
confinement  to  her  cabin — for  her  father  would 
certainly  insist  upon  her  remaining  below.  After 
to-day  all  the  passengers  will  be  as  busy  with 
talk  as  a  rookery." 

"  Though  the  General,  '  said   I,    "humanely 


VI  THE   GENERAL   QUESTIONS    ME  17 


suggested  that  you  should  be  dragged  on  to 
the  deck  I  am  bound  to  say  on  behalf  of  Cap- 
tain Stagg  whom  we  both  dislike,  that  he  spoke 
up  very  spunkily,  told  Sir  Charles  " — and  here  I 
gave  him  the  substance  of  what  the  skipper  had 
said. 

'•'  I  am  not  to  be  dragged  out  of  this  cabin/' 
said  he  smiling.  "For  any  sort  of  violence 
done  me  in  that  way  Captain  Stagg  would  have 
to  pay  handsomely  in  a  court  of  justice  ;  and  he 
knows  it.  I  take  it/'  said  he,  stroking  down 
his  moustache  and  admiring  the  ash  of  his 
cigar,  ''  that  the  law  of  the  land  is  extended  to 
the  ocean.  I  have  paid  for  this  cabin  or  for  a 
share  of  it.  I\Iy  portion  is  as  much  mine  to 
hold  and  enjoy  as  if  it  were  a  lodging  hired  by 
the  week  or  month  ashore.  There  is  no  imaofin- 
able  excuse  that  Captain  Stagg  could  invent  for 
having  me  dragged  out  of  it.  In  fact  I  should 
like  to  reason  the  matter  with  him,  and  if  to- 
morrow you  will  ask  him  to  step  down  and  look 
in  upon  me  I  shall  feel  obliged." 


176  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

Our  conversation  continued  in  this  strain  for 
some  time.      I  could  gather  no  hint  from  him 
as  to  his  intentions.    He  certainly  did  not  appear 
in  the  least  degree  disconcerted  by  the  General's 
discovery  of  his  being  in  the  ship — for  as  you 
have  seen  Sir    Charles's    suspicion    practically 
amounted  to  discovery  ;  and  yet  it  seemed  to 
me  that  the  one  effect  of  this  detection  must 
be  to  render  his  prospects  as  a  lover  entirely 
hopeless :    for     now    the    General's    existence 
would  be  one  of  restless  vigilance.     Whilst  the 
three  of  them  kept  the  sea  there  woiild  indeed 
be  the  safety  of  the   illimitable  horizon  ;  there 
were  no  post-chaises,  no  railway  stations  over 
the   side  ;     and  the    General    would    be    sen- 
sible   of   the    security  provided   to   his  wishes 
by  a   full-rigged   sailing-ship   in  the   middle  of 
the    Atlantic    Ocean.      But  when   the  three   of 
them  reached  India  !     Then  it   would  be  that 
Sir  Charles,  knowing  Mr.  Cunningham  to  be  at 
Miss   Primrose's   heels,   would   go  to  work    to 
wither  and  extinguish  my  cabin-fellow's  hopes. 


VI  THE    GENERAL    QUESTIONS    ME  177 

What  he  would  do  who  could  conjecture  ? 
What  he  cozcld  do  is  not  hard  to  suppose.  He 
was  a  man  of  passions  which  were  to  be  easily 
inflamed  into  the  exercise  of  a  tyranny  that 
should  be  nothing  short  of  brutal ;  and  hence  I 
could  not  but  think  that  now  Mr.  Cunningham 
was  known  to  be  on  board,  the  sooner  he  relin- 
quished his  pursuit  of  Miss  Primrose,  the  more 
promptly  he  should  request  Captain  Stagg  to 
transfer  him  to  the  first  homeward-bound  ship 
the  Light  of  Asia  might  fall  in  with,  the  saner 
he  would  prove  himself 

A  few  days  passed.  I  will  not  detain  you 
with  an  account  of  the  small  talk  of  those  hours, 
nor  with  a  description  of  what  I  took  notice  of 
in  the  behaviour,  severally,  of  the  General,  of 
his  daughter,  and  of  Mr.  Cunningham  who  was 
suffered  to  remain  unmolested  below.  But  this 
much  I  may  set  down  :  that  though  we  were  all 
of  us  aware  that  Miss  Primrose  was  under  no 
restraint  and  that  though  in  the  day-time  her 
father  kept  his  eye  upon  her,  w^hilst  at  night  she 

N 


178  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vi 

was  watched  only  by  her  maid,  if  indeed  the 
mere  sleeping  of  the  woman  in  Miss  Primrose's 
berth  could  be  interpreted  into  any  sort  of  sen- 
tinelling ;  we  did  not  fail  to  notice  that  the  girl 
was  slowly  withdrawing  herself  from  the  society 
of  the  saloon  and  the  deck.  Most  of  her  meals 
were  taken  to  her  cabin  where  she  was  waited 
upon  by  her  maid.  This  we  knew  to  be  of  her 
own  ordering  because  again  and  again  Sir 
Charles  finding  her  absent  from  her  place  when 
he  took  his  seat  would  go  to  her  berth  and 
return  with  a  face  dark  with  mortification  and 
annoyance.  Also  she  seldom  visited  the  deck. 
Me  she  now  scarcely  noticed.  Interpreted  by 
what  followed  I  later  recognized  what  was  al- 
most incivility  in  her  as  a  maiden's  strategy,  but 
at  the  time  her  cold  and  withholding  demeanour 
vexed  me  as  an  expression  of  ingratitude,  and 
perhaps  in  a  small  degree  it  diminished  my 
sympathy. 


f^y'f: 


ME    SHE    NOW    SCARCELY    NOTICEDo 


VII 


ONE    MIDDLE    WATCH 


By  the  date  at  which  this  story  has  now  ar- 
rived we  had  been  a  day  less  than  a  month  out 
from  the  Thames  ;  but  the  equator  was  still 
under  our  bow.  Indeed  I  have  some  recollec- 
tion of  our  latitude  at  noon  on  this  day  being 
40'  or  45'  north.  Throughout  the  morning  and 
throuo-hout  the  afternoon  the  burnished   heave 

o 

of  the  sea  was  faintly  tarnished  by  catspaws 
only,  delicate  breathings  of  air  that  rapidly  ex- 
pired in  their  sportive  flights,  leaving  our  lofty 
canvas  sulkily  and  breathlessly  swaying  as  the 
tall  fabric  lightly  rolled  on  the  light  wide  blue 
undulations. 


i82  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

Yet  the  heat  was  not  so  excessive  as  we  had 
found  It  further  north.  The  pitch  no  longer  lay 
soft  as  putty  in  the  seams  of  the  deck  and  the 
vision  could  penetrate  to  the  sea-line  without 
being  sickened  by  the  serpentine  waving  of  it 
in  the  dim  blue  haze  which  rose  in  steam  from 
the  smoking  rail  and  sides  of  the  ship  and  which 
everywhere  created  an  atmosphere  that  caused 
whatever  the  eye  rested  on  to  revolve  :  so  that 
the  long  jibbooms  and  the  very  mastheads  of 
the  vessel  seemed  to  twist  round  and  round  as 
though  they  were  Archimedean  screws  slowly 
rotated. 

The  moon  rose  very  late  and  it  was  a  dark 
but  clear  night  when  I  left  the  deck  to  kill  half- 
an-hour  in  the  saloon  over  a  glass  of  cold  grog, 
and  in  a  chat  with  such  men  as  I  might  find 
there.  On  entering  my  cabin  at  half-past  ten 
or  thereabouts  I  found  Mr.  Cunningham  in  bed. 
He  lay  with  his  face  to  the  ship's  side  but  his 
regular  breathing  assured  me  that  he  was  sleep- 
ing.    The   cabin   porthole  was  wide   open,  but 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE    WATCH  183 

not  a  breath  of  air  seemed  to  penetrate  the 
aperture.  There  was  something  almost  oppres- 
sive in  the  strange  hush  outside.  At  intervals 
one  heard  a  sob  of  water  or  a  dim  plash  and  a 
weak  noise  of  gurgling  that  made  one  think  of 
a  person  drowning  alongside.  The  light  sway- 
ing of  the  ship  was  illustrated  by  the  slow  small 
slide  of  the  stars  in  the  velvet  disc  of  the  port- 
hole. Now  and  then  I  would  be  sensible  of  a 
light  jar  or  shock  as  from  the  "kick"  of  the 
wheel  as  it  is  called. 

I  got  into  bed  after  extinguishing  the 
bracket-lamp  and  lay  perhaps  for  half-an-hour 
or  so  wide  awake,  listening  as  an  Irishman 
might  say  to  the  deep  impressive  stillness  upon 
the  ocean  and  wondering  how  long  this  sort  of 
weather  was  going  to  last,  and  at  what  date  we 
might  expect  to  enter  the  river  Hooghley. 

I  was  awakened  by  something  that  irritated 
my  face  and  putting  my  hand  mto  a  bag 
at  the  end  of  my  bunk  I  pulled  out  a  box  of 
lucifers,  struck  a  light  and  discovered  that  my 


l84  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vii 

visitor  was  a  cockroach.  The  match  swiftly- 
burned  out,  and  suspecting  that  there  ml.ght 
be  others  of  the  disgusting  creatures  crawHng 
upon  my  bedclothes  I  hopped  from  my  bunk 
and  lighted  the  lamp.  As  I  did  this  a  sound 
floating  in  through  the  porthole  caught  my  ear. 
I  listened.  The  noise  had  resembled  the  dip  of 
an  oar  ;  but  I  might  be  quite  sure  it  could  be 
nothing  of  the  sort ;  nothing  more  than  some 
instant  murmur  of  water  along^side,  some  note 
of  eddying  resembling  the  stroke  of  an  oar. 

I  examined  my  bed  and  had  the  satisfaction 
of  observing  a  short  line  of  cockroaches  crawl- 
ing in  good  processional  order  off  the  sheet 
under  which  I  had  lain :  they  made  for  the 
side  of  the  bunk  to  the  interstice  in  which 
they  lodged  in  the  day.  The  matter  was 
trifling,  yet  the  disgust  the  sight  of  the  noisome 
pests  excited  rendered  me  in  a  moment  very 
broad  awake.  I  glanced  at  Mr.  Cunningham's 
bunk :  it  was  empty.  His  clothes  were  re- 
moved from  the  pegs  on  which   he   commonly 


VII  ONE   MIDDLE   WATCH  185 

hung  them.  I  looked  to  see  if  there  were  any 
cockroaches  in  his  bed,  conceiving  that  he 
mio-ht  have  been  driven  by  the  vermin  on  to 
the  deck.  No  :  his  bed  was  free  from  cock- 
roaches. 

I  had  not  found  it  excessively  hot  when  I 
first  came  below  ;  but  now  whether  because  of 
the  cockroaches,  or  because  of  the  glow  of  the 
freshly-kindled  lamp,  or,  which  was  no  doubt 
the  case,  because  whilst  I  slept  there  had 
happened  a  sensible  increase  in  the  tempera- 
ture, I  found  the  atmosphere  overpowering. 
"Mr.  Cunningham  is  on  deck,"  thought  I, 
"  ril  join  him."  Indeed  I  seemed  to  pant  for 
the  wide  freshness  of  the  ocean  night,  for  the 
dew  of  it  and  the  ice-like  brilHancy  of  the 
stars,  and  for  the  sweet  draughts  of  air  which 
came  and  went  as  the  folds  of  the  canvas  swung 
large  and  pallid  over  the  glimmering  decks. 

I  partially  clothed  myself,  thrust  my  naked 
feet  into  a  pair  of  slippers,  clapped  a  light 
straw  hat  on  my  head,  and  put  a  cigar  into  my 


i86  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

pocket,  and  turning  down  the  lamp,  went  out 
softly  with  that  regard  for  the  sleep  of  others 
which  operates  as  a  sort  of  instinct  in  one  on 
board  ship.  I  groped  my  way  to  the  foot  of 
the  stairs  which  led  to  the  saloon.  This 
interior  was  in  darkness,  but  the  starlight 
touched  the  windows  which  overlooked  the 
quarter-deck  and  it  lay  in  a  faint  sheen 
upon  the  skylights,  and  I  passed  very  easily 
out  through  the  door.  Had  the  ship  been 
deserted  the  decks  could  not  have  been  stiller. 
There  was  no  moon  to  make  a  reflection,  and 
nothing  visible  stirred.  I  thought  to  hear  the 
dull  hum  of  voices,  and  went  a  little  way  forward 
expecting  to  behold  the  shadowy  outline  of  Mr. 
Cunningham's  tall  figure.  A  couple  of  sailors 
seated  Lascar  fashion  against  the  galley  were 
snoring  at  the  top  of  their  pipes.  Others  I 
might,  no  doubt,  have  found  coiled  away  in 
secret  nooks  ready  to  spring  to  their  feet  to  the 
first  sharp  summons  from  the  poop,  for  on  such 
a  breathless   ni^ht  as  this  was,  with  a  cloudless 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE   WATCH  187 

heaven  of  stars  going  from  sea-line  to  sea-line, 
the  watch  on  deck  were  to  be  excused  for 
napping. 

I  turned  to  look  aft  and  was  somewhat  sur- 
prised to  find  nobody  in  motion  upon  the  poop  : 
iox  there  at  least  one  thought  to  find  that  cease- 
less vigilance  w^hich  is  and  indeed  must  be  the 
pulse,  the  marrow,  the  seminal  principle  of  the 
vocation  of  the  sea.  Mounting  the  ladder  on 
the  port  side  of  the  ship  I  made  a  few  steps 
aft  still  without  catching  sight  of  the  officer  of 
the  watch,  though  the  figure  of  the  man  at  the 
wheel  grasping  the  spokes  at  the  extremity  of 
the  deck  was  to  be  seen  rising  and  falling 
against  the  stars  over  the  taffrail.  Then  my 
eye  going  to  the  huddle  of  thick  ropes — 
shrouds  and  backstays  complicated  by  the 
interlacing  of  ratlines — which  formed  the  sup- 
port of  the  mainmast  and  which  descended  a 
little  w^ay  abaft  the  point  at  which  the  for- 
ward end  of  the  poop  terminated,  I  spied  the 
figure  of  a  man. 


i88  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

"  That  will  be  the  mate  who  has  charge 
of  the  deck,"  thought  I  and  crossed  over  to 
him.  He  stood  stirless  as  though  blasted  by 
lightning.      I  was  struck  by  his  posture. 

"  Is  that  you,  Mr.  Masters  ?  "  I  inquired. 

He  returned  no  answer.  For  the  moment  I 
believed  him  lifeless  ;  but  even  as  I  so  thought 
I  seemed  to  observe  a  sort  of  wriggle  in  the 
whole  man,  and  now  drawing  close  to  him  and 
peering  narrowly  I  was  astounded  to  find  him 
not  only  gagged  but  helplessly  bound  by  turn 
upon  turn  of  rope  and  securely  fastened  to  the 
rail  of  the  deck  ! 

I  immediately  went  to  work  to  liberate  him. 
No  fly  revolved  by  a  spider  in  its  web  was 
ever  more  hopelessly  imprisoned  than  was 
this  second  mate.  Fathom  after  fathom  of 
rope  had  gone  to  the  securing  of  him,  and  it 
was  like  unreeling  cotton  to  remove  the  innu- 
merable turns  that  swathed  him  from  his  neck 
to  his  heels.  The  manner  in  which  he  had 
been  gagged  too,  showed  the  hand  of  an  artist. 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE   WATCH  191 

The  contrivance  was  so  framed  as  to  sit  clear 
of  his  nostrils,  yet  to  fill  his  mouth  and  paralyze 
the  motion  of  his  tongue.  He  leaned  against 
the  rail  for  some  minutes  speechless  after  I 
had  released  him,  and  guessing  his  condition  1 
bawled  over  the  edge  of  the  poop  for  some  men 
to  come  to  me,  and  three  or  four  seamen  ap- 
proached hurrying  out  of  the  darkness  forward. 

I  swifdy  explained  the  state  in  which  I  had 
found  the  second  mate  and  bade  them  chafe 
his  limbs  :  which  they  forthwith  did,  under- 
standing me  with  the  prompt  intelligence  of 
sailors,  yet  marvelHng  greatly  as  they  rubbed, 
as  I  might  know  by  their  manner  of  staring 
around. 

"I  am  all  right  now,  men,  I  am  all  right 
now,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Masters,  and  he  made 
as  though  he  would  break  from  them,  but 
staggered  and  leaned  afresh  against  the  rail 
with  a  manner  of  exhaustion,  and  feebly  cried 
to  me,  ''Will  you  call  the  captain,  sir?  I 
am  not  able  to  walk  yet." 


192  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

I  hastened  below  into  the  saloon  too  aston- 
ished and  I  may  say  alarmed  to  use  my  eyes  as 
I  ran  ;  for  let  me  tell  you  it  was  no  small  shock 
to  one  like  myself,  a  passenger,  to  come  on 
deck  in  the  blackness  of  the  night  and  find 
the  officer  of  the  watch,  to  whose  keeping  were 
entrusted  the  lives  of  all  on  board  the  ship, 
inhumanly  bound  and  gagged,  stirless  and 
helpless  and  voiceless,  and  nothing  at  hand  to 
explain  the  w^hy  and  the  how  and  the  where- 
fore of  the  wild  piece  of  business.  I  knocked 
smartly  on  the  door  of  the  captain's  cabin  and 
before  I  could  repeat  the  summons  the  handle 
was  turned  and  the  figure  of  the  square 
little  man  appeared. 

"  What  is  it  ?  What  is  it  ?  "  The  dim 
light  that  burnt  in  his  cabin  scarcely  revealed 
me  to  him  as   he   stood  staring. 

"  Something  is  wrong  on  deck,  Captain 
Stagg.  I  found  your  second  mate  gagged 
and  bound  to  the  rail  and  have  only  just 
released    him.      He   asked  me   to  call   you." 


VII  ONE   MIDDLE   WATCH  193 

He  waited  to  hear  no  more,  but  with 
a  strange,  half-smothered  exclamation  that 
sounded  like  the  growl  of  a  dreaming  mastiff 
he  made  a  plunge  for  his  small-clothes,  and  was 
immediately  following  me  on  deck,  struggling 
into  his  coat  as  he  ran.  The  second  mate 
leaned  against  the  rail  where  I  had  left  him  ;• 
the  little  knot  of  men  lingered  near,  but  they 
had  ceased  to  chafe  his  limbs. 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Stagg,  marching  in  an 
impetuous  deep-sea  roll  up  to  him,  and  speak- 
ing in  a  voice  harsh,  almost  brutal  with  excite- 
ment, expectation,  and  temper. 

''  This  was  it,  sir,"  answered  the  second  mate 
in  weak  tones  :  "  Five  bells  had  just  gone 
when  Mr.  Pellew,  the  tall  gentleman  that 
shares  Captain  Swift's  cabin,  came  on  to  the 
poop.  He  stepped  up  to  me  and  we  got  into 
conversation.  Presently  he  asked  me  if  some 
shadow  that  he  pretended  to  see  out  upon  the 
water  was  a  ship,  and  whilst  1  was  leaning  over 
the   rail   to  look   I   was   gagged,    half-throttled, 

o 


194  •  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

and  thrown  on  my  back.  There  were  three  of 
them  in  the  job.  Mr.  Pellew  was  one.  His 
strength  was  like  a  giant's.  The  others  were 
two  of  our  men,  but  it  was  too  dark  to  make 
them  out.  They  bound  me  from  head  to  foot 
and  then  set  me  up  against  the  rail  here,  and 
I  was  just  able  to  notice — for  the  suddenness 
of  the  attack  had  taken  half  my  mind  out  of 
my  head — that  they  went  to  the  after  port 
quarter-boat  and  lowered  her,  but  all  so  quietly 
that  I  shouldn't  have  known  what  they  were 
about  if  I  hadn't  had  a  sight  of  their  figures  as 
they  worked.  I  can  tell  you  no  more,  sir,  nor 
do  I  know  how  long  ago  it  is  since  it  hap- 
pened," he  added  in  a  voice  that  expressed  the 
bewilderment  of  his  poor  wits. 

Captain  Stagg  listened  ;  there  was  a  pause  ; 
I  believe  that  rage  and  amazement  had  for  a 
few  moments  deprived  him  of  the  power  of 
utterance,  but  he  now  let  fly  with  the  hurricane 
note  of  a  bull. 

"Call     all     hands!       Turn     up     all     hands! 


VII 


ONE    MIDDLE   WATCH  195 


Where's  the  bo'sun  ?  Lively  now !  My  boat 
o-one  !  "  He  rushed  to  the  davits  at  which  the 
boat  had  hung,  I  following.  True  enough  the 
black  irons  curved  naked  to  the  stars  with  the 
tackles  (by  which  the  boat  was  hoisted  and 
lowered)  overhauled  and  hanging  down  to  the 
water's  edge.  The  night  was  still  very  dark 
though  clear  and  richly  spangled  with  stars  ; 
but  the  tardy  moon  would  be  rising  shortly, 
and  even  as  I  swept  with  my  sight  the  ebony 
rim  of  the  sea,  clear  cut  against  the  fainter  dusk 
of  the  sky  and  the  low  wheeling  luminaries, 
I  thought  I  could  discern  the  weak  lunar  dawn 
in  the  east,  a  dim  reddish  suffusion  in  that 
quarter.  There  was  not  a  breath  of  air,  and 
the  ship  floated  upon  a  surface  of  oil.  Even 
as  the  captain  stood  looking  over  the  side,  his 
hard  breathing  sounding  like  the  panting  of  a 
wounded  man,  the  shrill  alarum  of  the  boat- 
swain's whistle  pierced  the  silence,  followed  by 
the  tempestuous  roar  of   "  All  hands." 

At  the    wheel     stood     a    motionless     figure, 

o   2 


196  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

gripping  the  spokes.  The  captain  rounded 
upon   him. 

"  How  long  is  it,"  he  shouted,  "since  this 
boat  was  stolen  ?  " 

''  'Bout  half  an  hour,  sir,"  answered  the  man 
slowly  and  sullenly. 

"  Were  you  at  the  wheel  when  she  was 
lowered  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  man  in  the  same 
sullen   note. 

''And  were  you  at  the  wheel,"  roared  the 
captain,  ''  when  the  second  officer  was  secured 
and  gagged  ? " 

''Yes,"  responded  the  fellow. 

"  And  you  stood  there  looking  on — made  no 
sign — didn't  call  for  help!  Mutiny,  mutiny!" 
thundered  Captain  Stagg,  and  he  rolled  for- 
ward shouting  alternately  "  Mutiny  !  Where's 
the  bo'sun  ?  Mutiny,  I  say!  Send  the  bo'sun 
here." 

"  Here  I  am,  sir,"  shouted  a  voice  on  the 
quarter-deck. 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE   WATCH  197 

"  Aft  with  you  with  a  couple  of  men  and 
seize  that  man  at  the  wheel,  and  clap  him  in 
irons  until  I  can  attend  to  him,"  cried  the  cap- 
tain.   "Where  are  the  midshipmen  of  the  watch  ?" 

A  boy's  voice  responded. 

''  Muster  all  hands.  See  who  it  is  that's 
missing." 

And  now  began  a  scene  of  excitement,  of 
hurry,  of  disorder  which  my  pen  is  almost 
powerless  to  do  justice  to.  To  the  shrill  notes 
of  the  boatswain's  pipe,  and  to  the  cries  which 
accompanied  it,  the  soldiers  had  come  tumbling 
up  from  their  quarters,  and  the  decks  were  full 
of  people  who  got  into  one  another's  way,  and 
who  called  questions  one  to  another  in  alarmed 
voices,  with  the  squeaky  voices  of  midshipmen 
threading  the  hubbub,  whilst  the  shouts  of  the 
captain  swept  past  the  ear  like  blasts  from  a 
blunderbuss.  Had  an  alarm  of  fire  been  raised, 
had  a  whole  gale  of  wind  suddenly  swept  down 
upon  the  ship,  had  some  submarine  convulsion 
happened  under  her  and  started  a  butt-end  and 


198  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

set  her  leaking  ;  in  short,  had  there  occurred 
any  tremendous  incident  or  tragic  disaster  such 
as  it  is  the  business  and  the  habit  of  a  seaman 
to  expect  and  encounter,  I  beHeve  Captain 
Stagg — cordially  as  I  disliked  the  fellow — 
would  have  been  a  man  to  meet  it  coolly  ;  his 
orders  would  have  been  given  with  composure, 
and  there  would  have  been  discipline  and 
calmness  in  the  ship.  But  the  piratic  seizure 
of  one  of  his  boats — the  absconding  of  two 
of  his  sailors — the  clear  confederacy  of  the 
fellow  who  had  been  at  the  helm — above  all 
the  enormous  indignity,  the  cruel  treatment  to 
which  his  second  officer  had  been  subjected — 
here  were  conditions  of  this  midnight  business 
to  drive  him  mad  ;  and  literally  mad  he  seemed 
to  be  as  he  ran  about  bellowing  here  and  there, 
roarinof  to  the  boatswain  to  tell  him  who  were 
the  missing  men,  to  the  chief  mate  to  ascertain 
if  the  boat  was  in  sight,  and  so  on. 

The    confusion   was    in    a    very    little    while 
prodigiously  heightened  by  the  arrival  of  most 


VII  ONE   MIDDLE   WATCH  199 

of  the  passengers,  who  came  in  an  elbowing 
half-dressed  throng  through  the  companion- 
way,  most  of  them — ladies  and  gentlemen — 
calling  out  to  know  what  had  happened  before 
they  had  fairly  thrust  their  noses  through  the 
hatch.  Colonel  Mowbray  spying  me  as  I 
stood  near  the  davits  at  which  the  stolen  boat 
had  hung,  rushed  to  me  to  learn  what  was 
wrong  with  the  ship.  The  scene  at  this  instant 
is  not  to  be  described.  Amid  the  darkness 
that  almost  blotted  out  the  fore-part  of  the 
vessel  I  could  perceive  the  half-clad  figures  of 
the  passengers  coming  together  in  groups, 
dissolving,  and  then  reforming  as  they  sped 
about  the  decks,  questioning  one  another,  and 
hunting  for  the  captain,  for  the  mates,  for  any- 
body able  to  answer  their  inquiries.  I  was 
telling  Colonel  Mowbray  what  had  happened, 
when  General  Primrose's  hard  commanding 
voice  echoed  in  the  companion-way  ;  his  tall, 
soldierly  figure  emerged,  and  he  immediately 
began  to  cry  out : 


200  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vii 

''  Is  Miss  Primrose  here  on  deck  ?  Has  any 
one  seen  Miss  Primrose  ?  She  is  not  in  her 
cabin  and  she  is  not  in  the  saloon  ; "  and  by 
the  starhght  I  saw  him  raise  his  hand  to  the 
side  of  his  mouth  the  better  to  direct  his  short, 
passionate,  almost  despairful  cry  of  ''  Geraldine  ! 
Geraldine  !     Are  you  here  ? " 

''  By  heaven,  then  ! "  cried  I  to  the  Colonel 
as  the  truth  rushed  in  upon  my  brain  in  a 
manner  to  stagger  my  wits,  "  I  see  it  all 
now!  It  is  an  elopement!  My  cabin-fellow 
and  Miss  Primrose  have  run  away — they  have 
stolen  this  boat  here  and  are  out  somewhere 
upon  that  black  sea.  What  madness  !  Sheer 
suicide !  And  how  on  earth  are  they  to  be 
recovered  ?  ' 

All  the  people  had  assembled  on  the  fore- 
part of  the  poop  where  the  captain  was,  and 
twenty  of  them  seemed  talking  at  once  so  great 
was  the  hubbub.  The  General's  voice  rose 
strong  ;  and  equally  strong  were  the  ocean 
accents  of  Captain  Stagg.      I  stood  alone — no 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE   WATCH  201 

one  near  me  save  the  helmsman,  and  with  the 
utmost  effort  of  my  vision  I  swept  the  great 
plain  of  liquid  dusk  stretching  with  the  vague- 
ness of  a  midnight  thunder-cloud  to  its  star- 
determined  horizon  :  but  there  w^as  nothing  to 
be  seen,  no  glint  of  phosphorus  to  indicate  the 
dip  of  an  oar,  no  minute,  ink-like  spot  in  the 
vapourish  obscurity  to  signify  the  boat.  *'  What 
madness ! "  I  repeated  again  and  again  to  my- 
self. ''  Unless  we  pick  them  up  what  will  be 
their  fate  ? " 

I  moved  towards  the  crowd  at  the  break  of 
the  poop  to  hear  what  was  said.  The  moon 
was  then  rising  ;  a  distorted  shape  of  dull  red 
light ;  weak,  lean  and  lonely  in  the  immeasur- 
able distance,  and  the  cold,  wide  universe  of 
starry  solitude  in  whose  heart  our  ship  lay 
motionless  grew  colder  and  wider  to  every 
sense  in  one  through  the  sheer  contrasting 
effect  of  the  confused  notes  of  talk  echoing 
along  the* vessel's  decks.  But  by  this  time  it 
had  been  oruessed,  indeed  it  was  now  known, 


202  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

that  the  gentleman  who  had  shared  my  cabin 
had  eloped  from  the  ship  with  Miss  Primrose 
in  the  stolen  quarter-boat  in  company  with  two 
sailors.  The  crew  had  been  mustered  and  all 
hands  had  answered  saving  the  absent  men. 
Some  one  shouted  out  my  name  and  a  few 
steps  carried  me  into  the  crowd — for  a  crowd 
we  formed. 

"  I  am  here,"   I   exclaimed. 

The  General  and  Captain  Stagg  came  thrust- 
ing to  where  I  stood. 

''What  can  you  tell  me  about  my  daughter, 
Captain  Swift  ? "  said  Sir  Charles. 

''  Nothing,  sir,"  I  answered.  "  The  man 
who  called  himself  Pellew  was  asleep  when  I 
went  to  my  cabin.  When  I  awoke  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  ago  his  bunk  was  empty. 
I  came  on  deck  to  breathe  the  air  imagining 
nothing,  suspecting  nothing,  on  my  word  of 
honour,  as  a  gentleman  and  an  officer,  and 
found  the  second  mate  gagged  and  tied  to 
the  rail." 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE   WATCH  203 

There  was  sincerity  in  my  voice  and  my 
words  carried  conviction.  No  need  to  see  my 
face  to  guess  how  thoroughly  shocked  and 
startled   I   was. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,  sir,"  roared  the 
captain,  "  that  you,  sleeping  in  the  same  cabin 
with  the  rascal  who  has  stolen  my  boat,  had 
no  notion  of  what  was  going  forward  ? " 

Maddened  by  this  coarsely-delivered,  most 
brutally  affronting  suspicion,  I  approached 
him  by  a  single  stride  and  looking  down  at 
his  face  where  it  palely  glimmered  betwixt  his 
square  shoulders   I   said  between  my  teeth  : 

''  Captain  Stagg,  if  you  repeat  that  question 
I  will  flog  you  round  the  deck  with  the  first 
piece  of  rope  that  I  can  get  hold  of,"  and  un- 
consciously I  lifted  my  hands  in  readiness  to 
take  him  by  the  throat  had  he  opened  his 
lips. 

He  fell  back  a  step  dismayed,  confounded, 
utterly  at  a  loss.  The  dead  silence  that  had 
settled   down  upon   us  was  broken  by  several 


204  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vil 

Strong  expressions  of  sympathy  with  me  from 
Burton,  Elphinstone,  and  one  or  two  others, 
and  some  one  said  loudly,  "  By  Ged,  then.  It 
wasn't  to  be  borne."  But  though  all  this  takes 
some  time  to  describe,  it  had  begun,  it  had 
ended  in  the  space  of  a  few  ticks  of  a  clock. 
Anything  that  Stagg  may  have  made  up  his 
mind  to  say  or  do  as  a  reply  to  me  was  arrested 
or  extinguished  by  Sir  Charles  crying  out : 
"  What  start  have  they  had  ?  " 

''  Something  within  half  an  hour,  sir," 
answered  the  still  enfeebled  voice  of  the 
second  mate  from  the  other  side  of  the 
crowd . 

"  They  are  to  be  pursued  and  taken,"  cried 
the  General.  ''  Let  the  boats  be  lowered  at 
once  :  there  are  three,  and  they  can  steer  in 
three  separate  directions.  Colonel  Mowbray, 
a  non-commissioned  officer  and  three  men  with 
loaded  muskets  will  go  In  each  boat  in  case 
resistance  should  be  offered.  Let  this  be  done 
now  quickly." 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE   WATCH  205 

''  There's  no  sfood  in  sendlnof  boats  after 
what's  not  to  be  seen,  Sir  Charles,"  exclaimed 
Captain  Stagg  in  a  growling  stubborn  voice. 
"  Mr.  Freeman,"  he  shouted,  pretty  sure  that 
the  chief  mate  would  be  within  hearing  of  him, 
"  get  lanterns  lighted  and  hung  over  the  side 
that  the  men  who've  run  away  with  my  boat 
may  know  where  the  ship  lies  in  case  they 
chanee  their  minds  and  wish  to  return." 

"We  are  wasting  valuable  time,"  cried  the 
General  passionately;  "I  demand  that  you 
order  the  boats  to  be  lowered,  sir.  My 
daughter  must  be  recovered — my  daughter 
must  be  recovered ! "  he  repeated,  and  the 
plaintiveness  that  his  advanced  years,  his 
grief,  his  sense  of  disgrace  put  into  the  cry 
rendered  it  affecting  beyond  expression. 

"  Sir  Charles,  there's  no  good  to  come  of 
lowering  the  boats,"  exclaimed  Stagg  ;  "  look 
how  dark  it  is !  The  moon  don't  give  any 
light.  There's  nothing  to  see.  In  what  direc- 
tion  are  the    coxswains  to    steer    then  ?     The 


2o6  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

runaways  pull  three  oars,  and  if  the  lady 
chooses  to  row  there'll  be  four.  That's  one 
less  than  the  other  boats  can  pull  ;  and  then 
see  what  a  start  they've  had." 

"  I  don't  care  about  that,  sir,"  roared  the 
General.  "What!  You  tell  me  you  mean 
to  keep  the  boats  idly  hanging  at  the  ends 
of  those  irons  whilst  my  daughter  is  still 
within  reach  there — or  there — or  there  !  "  he 
added,  wildly  pointing  to  port,  and  then  to 
starboard,  and  then  over  the  stern.  '"You 
tell  me  there  is  nothing  to  be  done  when  we 
have  soldiers  and  sailors  willing  to  give  chase 
— when  the  sea  is  as  smooth  as  a  pond — when 
each  boat  can  hold  a  crew  strong  enough  to 
frequently  relieve  each  other  at  the  oars,  and 
when  the  male  fugitives  count  but  two  sea- 
men and  a  person  who  is  not  a  sailor,  and 
unable  perhaps  to  row.  My  God ! "  he  cried, 
violently  stamping  his  foot,  "  what  precious 
time  we  are  wasting." 

'*  Sir  Charles,"   I  exclaimed,  "  if  the  captain 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE    WATCH  207 

will  lower  a  boat  I  will  volunteer  for  her  to 
serve  in  any  capacity  in  which  I  may  be 
useful.  Amongst  us  officers  we  should  easily 
muster  a  crew,  and  I  will  guarantee  that  we 
capture  the  runaways  if  we  only  get  a  sight 
of  them." 

"  I  thank  you,  Captain  Swift,"  said  the 
General. 

''Who  will  join  me?"   I   shouted. 

There  was  a  chorus  of  "  I  will,  I  will,  I 
will." 

"  No  man  touches  my  boats  without  my 
leave,"  bawled  Captain  Stagg.  ''  One's  as 
good  as  lost,  and  the  seeking  of  her  may 
lose  me  another.  Gentlemen,  all,  only  con- 
sider for  yourselves.  Land's  sake,  gents,  cast 
your  eyes  over  the  rail  and  ask  yourselves 
where  you're  agoing  to  steer,  and  how  far  you 
mean  to  row,  and  what'll  be  your  chance  of 
recovering  this  ship  if  you  should  lose  sight 
of  her,  and  drift  too  distant  for  lamps  and 
rockets  to  catch  your  eye  ? " 


2o8  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

"  But  what  is  to  be  done  ? "  said  the  General. 
"Is  it  to  be  endured  that  my  daughter  shall 
be  suffered  to  remain  in  an  open  boat  all  night, 
with  the  chance  of  perishing  if  stormy  weather 
follows,  when  she  may  still  be  within  reach  ? 
They  may  have  put  off  without  provisions  or 
water,  and  what  are  to  be  her  sufferings  if 
they  are  not  followed  and  recovered  ? " 

"  What  can  I  do,  sir  ? "  answered  Stagg  in 
a  note  of  mingled  shouting  and  groaning.  "  I 
can't  make  the  wind  to  blow ;  and  without 
wind  this  ship  won't  move  :  and  if  she  could 
be  made  to  move,  into  what  quarter  of  the 
horizon  am  I  to  follow  the  boat  ?  Let  a  breeze 
come  along  and  I  shall  know  what  to  do. 
You  don't  suppose — the  gentlemen  don't  sup- 
pose— that  I'm  going  to  lose  a  boat  and  two 
men  for  the  want  of  lookinof  for  them  ?  It'll 
be  davbreak  within  three  hours  of  the  time 
they  started  ;  and  in  three  hours  how  far  will 
they  have  got  ?  Shall  we  call  it  twelve  mile  ? 
Twelve  mile  off  is  to  be  seen  from  our  mast- 


VII  ONE    MIDDLE  WATCH  209 

head,  and  so  I  tell  ye,  Sir  Charles  ;  and  you 
leave  me  alone  to  have  a  bright  look  out  at 
the  masthead  all  ready  for  the  sun  to  rise. 
But  to  send  the  other  three  boats  in  chase ! 
And  in  chase  of  what  ?  Something  that  isn't 
to  be  seen  ?  That  would  be  a  lubberly  trick. 
Doubt  me,  and  I'll  call  all  hands  aft  and  you 
shall  hear  what  my  mates  and  crew  have  to 
say  to  it ;  all  of  them  sailor  men — not  sol- 
diers ! "  He  wiped  his  face  and  went  to  the 
rail  to  spit. 

"  I  am  afraid — I'm  afraid  there  is  but  too 
much  truth  in  what  he  says,"  exclaimed  Colonel 
Mowbray  uttering  the  words  timidly. 

The  General  in  silence  stood  towering 
amongst  us — motionless,  gazing  in  the  direction 
of  the  little  trickle  of  reddish  wake  that  floated 
under  the  moon  on  the  flawless  indigo  of  the  sea. 

''  The  boat  ought  certainly  to  be  pursued," 
said  a  subaltern  with  a  lisp. 

*'  Fm  quite  willing  to  do  anything,"  said 
another. 

P 


2IO  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vii 

"  Three  boats,"  said  I,  "  should  provide  three 
chances  to  one  ;  yet  there  is  this  to  be  said — 
should  a  breeze  spring  up,  one  or  another  of 
the  boats  might  stand  to  lose  the  ship." 

*'  The  boat  is  sure  to  be  in  sight  at  dawn," 
exclaimed  Colonel   Mowbray. 

The  General  walked  right  aft  and  stood 
alone  there,  near  the  wheel,  gazing  seawards. 


VIII 

Co^xLUSIO.N 

The  passengers  now  began  to  melt  away, 
not  to  return  to  their  beds,  but  to  clothe  them- 
selves. The  captain  came  from  the  rail  and 
approached  me  close,  then  wheeled  off  on  seeing 
who  I  was.  Lanterns  sparkled  in  the  fore  and 
mizzen  rigging,  and  in  their  faint  illumination 
the  figures  of  soldiers  and  sailors  on  the  main- 
deck  and  in  the  waist  came  and  went.  The 
mate  with  a  night  glass  at  his  eye  incessantly 
searched  the  horizon,  crossing  from  side  to  side 
to  do  so.  The  calm  was  absolutely  breathless — 
a  clock  calm  it  is  called  at  sea  :  not  the  faintest 
stir  in   the  atmosphere,    though    a   faint    long- 

p    2 


212  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

drawn  swell,  the  systole  and  diastole  of 
old  ocean's  sleeping  heart,  delicately  swayed 
the  buttons  of  our  trucks  under  the  sparkling 
stars  whose  brilliance  found  no  eclipse  in  the 
wan  light  of  the  moon. 

Suddenly  there  was  the  explosion  of  a  rocket 
with  a  long  shearing  hiss  of  it  as  it  shot 
betwixt  our  masts  and  broke  into  a  little  cloud 
of  light  on  high.  This  was  the  first  of  half-a- 
dozen  that  followed  in  rapid  succession. 
Evidently  Stagg's  forlorn  hope  was  that  the 
two  absconding  sailors  would  be  alarmed  by 
reflection  into  a  change  of  mind  and  row  the 
pair  of  lovers  back  again  to  the  ship.  Nothing 
however  to  my  fancy,  to  my  recollection  of  Mr. 
Cunningham's  determined  character,  to  every 
thought  of  the  devotion  of  the  girl  who  had 
embarked  on  this  most  unheard  of,  this  most 
astonishing  adventure,  could  seem  more  im- 
probable. In  strength  Mr.  Cunningham  was 
a  match  for  any  two  men  ;  in  a  passion  he 
might  prove  himself  the  equal  of  even  three, 


VIII  CONCLUSION  213 

and  should  the  two  sailors  desire  to  return,  it 
would  assuredly  go  hard  with  them  if  they 
attempted  to  give  effect  to  their  resolution. 

The  General  continued  to  stand  alone  near 
the  wheel.  No  one  offered  to  approach  him. 
I  can  see  with  my  mind's  eye  at  this  moment 
his  stately  military  figure,  stirless  as  a  statue 
savinor  a  slow  motion  of  his  head  as  he  eazed 
round  upon  the  sea.  I  felt  a  hearty  disgust  of 
myself  when  I  reflected  upon  the  part  1  had 
taken  in  ^Ir.  Cunningham's  love  affair.  Never 
did  I  regret  anything  so  much  as  my  having 
served  him  and  i\Iiss  Primrose  as  a  messenger. 
The  General  was  a  man  whose  character  and 
qualities  were  little  to  my  taste  ;  yet  I  own  that 
it  affected  me  deeply  to  witness  him  standing 
alone  at  the  extremity  of  the  deck  searching 
with  his  eyes  the  cold  black  surface  of  the 
waters — to  recall  his  professional  distinction — 
to  remember  his  achievements — to  reflect  upon 
the  valour,  the  judgment,  the  loyalty  that  had 
gone    to  the  creation  of   his  long  career ;  and 


214  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

then    to  think    of    the    shame  and   sorrow  that 
had  come  upon  him. 

Indeed  there  was  something  so  extraordinarily 
audacious  in  the  act  of  the  lovers  that  though 
the  empty  davits  yawned  before  me,  though 
the  lanterns  still  shone  over  the  ship's  side, 
though  there  were  eyes  at  many  parts  of  the 
rails  and  bulwarks  on  the  look-out,  I  could 
scarcely  yet  credit  the  occurrence  as  an  actuality. 
Who  in  all  one's  life  had  ever  heard  of  such  a 
thing  as  a  young  fellow  eloping  with  a  girl  out 
of  a  ship  in  an  open  boat  and  taking  his  chance 
with  his  sweetheart  at  his  side  in  the  lonely 
heart  of  a  thousand  leagues  of  Atlantic  water  ? 
I  might  suppose  that  he  had  heavily  bribed  the 
seamen  who  accompanied  him.  One  could  easily 
understand  the  scheme  now  :  a  programme  that 
involved  three  sailors,  one  of  whom  should  be 
at  the  helm  by  the  rotation  of  the  ''  tricks  "  on 
the  night  agreed  upon  for  the  carrying  out  of 
the  plot.  Had  they  victualled  and  watered  the 
boat    before   going   away  in    her?      If  so    this 


VIII  CONCLUSION  215 

must  have  been  secretly  and  darkly  done  on 
the  previous  nights  :  though  how  it  had  been 
accomplished  without  detection  I  cannot  imagine. 
But  what  amazed  me  most  was  the  subtle  still- 
ness, the  sneaking  breathless  artfulness  they  had 
exhibited  in  lowerins:  the  boat,  eettinof  the  eirl 
into  her,  unhooking  the  blocks  of  the  tackles 
and  shoving  off  without  a  soul  on  board  saving 
the  fellow  at  the  wheel,  and  the  gagged  and 
helpless  second  mate,  hearing  anything  or 
having  the  least  suspicion  of  what  was 
going  forward.  To  be  sure  I  had  seemed 
to  hear  the  distant  dip  of  a  solitary  oar  and  I 
might  now  be  certain  that  the  noise  had  been 
no  fancy  of  mine.  But  was  it  possible  that  the 
boat  was  lowered  so  quietly  as  to  be  unheard 
by  the  rows  of  sleepers  on  that  side  of  the  ship 
all  whose  portholes  would  be  wide  open  on  so 
sultry  a  night  ? 

But  so  it  was ;  the  boat  was  gone ;  the 
young  couple  were  missing  ;  two  of  the  sailors 
had  not  answered  to  their  names,   and  yonder 


2i6  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  viil 

Stood  the  father,  motionlessly  gazing  with  God 
knows  what  passions  and  griefs  surging  in 
him,  his  tall  figure  blotting  out  a  score  or  two 
of  stars  twinkling  dimly  in  the  distant  dusk. 

I  was  but  partially  clothed  as  you  know  and 
made  my  way  below  to  complete  my  toilet  in 
readiness  for  daylight  when  it  should  come.  In 
passing  through  the  saloon,  I  perceived  the 
figure  of  a  woman  seated  at  the  table  with  her 
face  buried  in    her  hands.      She  was  sobbing 

o 

bitterly.  A  couple  of  the  lamps  had  been 
lighted  and  there  was  plenty  of  illumination  to 
see  by,  but  the  interior  was  empty  of  all  save 
that  weeping  form.  I  paused  when  abreast  of 
her,  and  wondering  who  she  was  and  therefore 
unable  to  imagine  the  cause  of  her  distress,  I 
asked  gently  if  I  could  be  of  use  to  her.  She 
lifted  her  head.  She  was  Miss  Primrose's 
maid. 

''  There  is  no  reason  for  all  this  unhappi- 
ness,"  said  I  ;  ''  the  sea  is  delightfully  calm, 
the  weather    delightfully   fine,   and    your    mis- 


VIII 


CONCLUSION 


217 


tress  will  be  restored  to  the  ship   I  hope  and 
believe  during  the  morning." 

"  Oh,    but    Sir    Charles    will    think    me    an 


"OH,    BUT   SIR   CHARLES   WILL   THINK   ME  AN    ACCOMPLICE,    SIR, 
SHE   EXCLAIMED    IN   A   BROKEN  VOICE. 


accomplice,    sir,"    she    exclaimed    in  a  broken 


voice. 


''If  you  have  the  truth  on  your  side  you  will 
be  easily  able  to  convince  him,"  said  I. 


2i8  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  vill 

"  I  can  assure  you,  sir,  I  had  no  notion  that 
my  young  lady  meant  to  take  so  mad  a  step," 
she  exclaimed,  talking  eagerly  as  though  glad 
of  an  opportunity  to  disburthen  her  mind.  "  I 
sleep  very  soundly,  and  that's  where  it  is,  sir. 
When  I  went  to  bed  my  young  lady  was  un- 
dressed and  sleeping  as  I  believed.  She  had 
not  dined  at  the  table.  She  asked  for  some 
sandwiches  and  wine  at  eight,  and  then  told  me 
to  go  on  deck  and  take  the  air,  and  to  return 
at  half-past  nine  to  help  her  to  undress,  but 
some  time  before  that  hour  I  came  to  the  cabin 
to  fetch  a  shawl  to  protect  me  from  the  dew, 
and  when  I  entered  I  found  Miss  Primrose 
with  her  arm  in  the  porthole.  I  thought 
nothing  of  it,  but  now  since  I've  heard  that 
the  gentleman  slept  in  the  cabin  underneath  us, 
I  believe  she  was  communicating  with  him 
through  that  window,  though  I  do  not 
know  how  she  did  it.  When  I  came  back  at 
half-past  nine  I  found  she  had  undressed  her- 
self and  was  then  getting  into  bed,  and  at  ten 


VIII  CONCLUSION  219 

o'clock,  sir,  as  I  have  said,  she  seemed  to  be 
asleep,  and  then  I  went  to  bed  myself,  and 
until  I  was  woke  up  by  the  noise  on  deck  and 
by  Sir  Charles  knocking  at  the  door  to  ask  if 
his  daughter  was  there,  I  knew  no  more  of 
what  had  happened  than  the  babe  unborn." 
She  burst  into  tears  again  and  continued  to 
repeat  '*  I  know  I  shall  be  thought  an  accom- 
plice. I  know  it  will  be  said  that  I  was  paid 
money  to  take  no  notice — which  will  be  a  most 
dreadful  falsehood,"  and  the  poor  creature 
rocked  herself  in  her  wretchedness. 

I  addressed  a  few  words  of  comfort  to  her 
and  passed  on.  Her  story  was  undoubtedly 
true  and  it  explained  away  a  difficulty ;  for  it 
had  puzzled  me  to  understand  how  Miss  Prim- 
rose had  contrived  to  dress  herself  and  quit  her 
cabin  without  disturbing  her  maid.  As  I  looked 
at  Mr.  Cunningham's  baggage  which  stood  near 
his  chest  of  drawers  in  a  corner  of  the  cabin  I 
wondered  if  the  man  would  ever  turn  up  again 
to  claim  them,  whether  we  should  ever  again 


220  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

hear  of  him  and  his  sweetheart,  or  supposing 
them  to  come  off  with  their  Hves,  what  sort  of 
adventures  would  befall  them  before  they 
reached  England.  What,  I  thought  to  myself, 
as  I  looked  through  the  open  port  into  the 
black  profound  of  breathless  sea  and  sky  as 
they  showed  in  that  tube  of  window — what  will 
be  the  girl's  thoughts  as  she  sits  in  the  boat 
somewhere  out  yonder  in  the  deep  solitude  of 
this  immensity  of  water  and  under  that  heaven 
of  stars  ?  Is  there  any  magic  in  the  passion  of 
love  to  reconcile  her  to  such  a  situation  ?  Will 
she  not  by  this  time  be  glad  to  exchange  the 
bliss  of  sitting  by  her  lover's  side  in  an  open 
boat  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic  ocean  for  the 
comfort  of  her  berth,  for  the  hospitable  light 
and  life  of  the  saloon,  for  the  safety  of  this  stout 
tall  ship,  the  Light  of  Asia  ? 

I  returned  on  deck,  and  as  I  stepped  on  to 
the  quarter-deck  on  my  road  to  the  poop  I  was 
in  time  to  hear  the  chief  officer  standing  at  the 
rail    overhead    call    out:    "A    reward     of    ten 


VIII  CONCLUSION  221 

guineas  will  be  given  to  the  first  man,  soldier  or 
sailor,  it  matters  not,  who  sights  the  boat." 

There  were  many  dusky  figures  flitting 
about  on  the  poop.  I  looked  around  for  the 
General,  and  presently  spied  his  tall  shape 
pacing,  alone,  a  few  feet  of  the  deck  near  the 
wheel.  I  joined  a  group  formed  of  Colonel 
Mowbray  and  other  officers  and  some  ladies 
and  stood  with  them  talkino^  over  the  strange 
incidents  of  the  night,  the  prospects  of  the 
recovery  of  the  boat,  the  insane  audacity  of  the 
elopement.  One  must  have  thought  that  the 
daw^n  never  would  come,  so  indescribably  slow 
was  the  passage  of  those  dark  hours.  I  pur- 
posely raised  my  voice  that  Sir  Charles  might 
know  I  w^as  on  deck  and  question  me  if  he 
chose ;  but  he  held  aloof,  he  had  nothing  to 
say  ;  once  somebody  joined  him  but  he  speedily 
shook  him  off 

The  calm  was  as  preternatural  for  oppressive 
stillness,  for  the  enormousness  of  the  hush 
rising  out  of  its  heart  and  subduing  every  sense 


222  A   STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  viii 

till  one  felt  the  influence  of  it  as  a  sort  of  com- 
mand upon  the  spirits — the  calm  I  say  was 
almost  as  beyond  nature  as  the  horrific  snake- 
breeding  stagnation  described  in  the  Ancient 
Ma7nner.  Shortly  before  daybreak  I  found 
the  dusky  figure  of  the  second  mate  standing 
near  me  and  asked  him  how  he  did. 

"  I'm  all  right  again  now,  sir,  thank  you." 

*'  Shall  we  recover  the  runaways,  think 
you  r 

'*  I  believe  not,"  he  answered  in  a  low  voice. 

'*  Even  if  the  boat  should  be  in  siijht  when 
the  sun  rises  is  the  captain  going  to  send  in 
chase  ?  " 

"  He'll  not  do  it  unless  some  wind  comes  to 
enable  him  to  hold  his  boats  in  view,  and  there's 
no  hint  that  I  can  find  in  the  sky  of  any  wind 
for  the  next  twenty-four  hours,  if  it  comes 
then!' 

"  The  two  sailors  must  have  been  handsomely 
bribed  to  fall  in  with  so  desperate  a  scheme  ?  " 

''  Ay,  sir,  big  promises  and  some  ready  money 


AT   DAYBREAK   THERE   WAS   A   RUSH   ALOFT   OF   ALL   HANDS. 


VIII  CONCLUSION  225 

on  top  of  them  weren't  wanting,  I  dare  say. 
Unfortunately,  Mr.  Pellew,  as  he  called  himself, 
has  got  hold  of  two  of  the  worst  men  In  the 
ship,  fellows,  so  the  bo'sun  was  saying,  whose 
characters  would  the  least  bear  looking  Into. 
It  Is  that  which  makes  the  situation  of  the  lady 
bad,  and  her  father's  to  be  pitied  if  we  don't 
pick  'em  up.  'Twill  be  a  heart-breaking  job  for 
him,  so  stern  as  he  is  and  so  proud  too  and  not 
liked  well  enough  to  be  condoled  with,  d'ye  see?" 
As  he  spoke  a  dim,  most  elusive  sheen  of 
green,  like  a  delicate  mist  upon  which  the 
reflection  of  a  coloured  glass  is  cast  was  visible 
upon  the  rim  of  the  eastern  sea.  It  was  the 
first  of  the  daybreak  and  to  the  instant  glimpse 
of  it  there  was  a  rush  aloft  ;  a  dance  of  all 
hands  up  the  shrouds,  with  soldiers  slowly  and 
warily  crawling  up  the  rigging,  holding  on  very 
tighdy,  and  often  pausing  to  look  up.  Every 
mast  bore  its  burthen  of  starers  like  clusters  of 
bees  settled  upon  the  yards,  when  with  the 
velocity  of  the  tropic  daybreak  the  sun  sprang 

Q 


226  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vill 

off  the  sea  line  and  flashed  up  the  whole  scene 
of  sea  and  sky  into  a  day  splendent  and  bound- 
less. Perched  on  the  main  royal  yard  at  an 
elevation  of  I  know  not  how  many  feet  above 
the  deck  was  the  figure  of  the  chief  mate,  with 
a  telescope  at  his  eye  ;  and  on  high,  on  the 
fore-royal  yard,  with  his  head  on  a  level  with 
the  truck,  stood  the  figure  of  the  second  mate, 
also  with  a  telescope  at  his  eye  ;  and  with  the 
slow  deliberate  motion  of  the  merchant  sailor, 
the  two  worthy  fellows  swept  the  ocean  with 
their  glasses.  We  down  on  the  poop  all  stood 
staring  up,  breathless,  agitated,  hearkening  for 
the  first  cry  that  should  announce  the  visibility 
of  a  minute  speck  upon  the  horizon.  But  all 
remained  silent  aloft.  The  very  ship  seemed 
to  participate  in  the  emotion  of  the  time,  to 
hush  the  stir  of  her  canvas,  to  arrest  the  swaying 
of  her  mastheads. 

"  Mainroyal  yard  there  !  "  shouted  the  cap- 
tain. "  Do  you  see  anything  of  the  boat,  Mr. 
Freeman  ?  " 


VIII  CONCLUSION  227 

"  Nothing,  sir,"  came  back  the  answer,  clear 
but  small  as  it  fell  from  that  spirelike  altitude. 

"  She  77iust  be  within  range  of  the  telescope," 
I  heard  the  captain  say,  talking  at  Sir  Charles 
though  addressing  the  passengers  generally. 
"  but  the  lenses  aren't  powerful  enough  to 
reveal  her." 

"Has  she  been  picked  up  by  some  passing 
vessel,  do  you  think  ?  "  somebody  inquired. 

"  Nothing  with  sails  could  have  passed  her,"' 
answered  the  captain,  "  and  steam  we  should 
have  seen  or  heard.  The  lookout  that's  been 
kept  has  been  bright  enough." 

The  General  approached  the  square  little 
man,  whose  insult  of  the  night  I  could  not 
forgive.  I  was  startled  by  the  haggardness  and 
hollowness  of  his — that  is  to  say  Sir  Charles's — 
face  ;  it  was  difficult  to  believe  that  passion  and 
emotion  could  work  so  violent  a  change  in  a 
resolved  and  mature  nature  in  so  short  a  time. 
His  complexion  was  of  a  greenish  tinge  ;  the 
pallor  would  have  been  ashen  in  a  fair  man,  but 

Q  2 


228  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vill 

It  showed  sickly,  ghastly,  Indeed,  In  Its  hue  on 
his  almost  chocolate  coloured  cheek.  His  black 
eyes  were  restless  and  full  of  the  fire  of  temper  ; 
but  there  was  a  new  expression  of  fierceness  In 
his  face  ;  It  almost  amounted  to  ferocity  as  he 
looked  down  upon  Stagg.  This  was  a  man  to 
pity  In  the  dark  when  one  could  imagine  him 
only,  and  Invent  whatever  feelings  and  sensa- 
tions one  chose  for  him  In  his  affliction  ;  but  In 
the  daytime  sympathy  was  shot  dead  by  his 
burning  level  glance.  I  confess  as  I  looked  at 
him  when  he  approached  Stagg  that  I  ceased  to 
feel  sorry  for  him. 

A  number  of  the  passengers  were  standing 
near  ;  they  could  not  miss  what  he  said,  nor  did 
he  address  Stagg  as  though  he  were  sensible  of 
the  presence  of  other  listeners. 

''  The  boat  Is  not  In  sight,  then  ?  " 

"  No,    Sir   Charles.       But,    as    I    have  said, 

that'll   be   the   fault    of    the   telescope.      She's 

bound  to  be  this  side  of  the  horizon  from  half 

that  way  up,  ay,  from  a  quarter  that  way  up," 


VIII  CONCLUSION 


229 


said  the  Captain,  indicating  the  mainmast  with 
his  elbow. 

"  But  she  is  not  in  sight,"  repeated  the  General 
with  vehemence,  "  no  matter  whether  she  ought 
or  ought  not  to  be  so." 

"  No,  she's  not  in  sight." 

"  And  what  do  you  mean  to  do  ? " 

"  What  ca7i  I  do,  sir  ?  "  exclaimed  the  Captain, 
sending  a  gaze  of  despair  that  was  made  comical 
by  the  twist  of  his  nose  and  mouth,  over  the 
burnished  blue  sea  in  whose  eastern  quarter  the 
sun's  reflection  flamed  as  though  we  were  afloat 
on  an  ocean  of  quicksilver. 

"  When  wind  comes,"  said  the  General,  pro- 
nouncing his  words  as  though  he  found  difficulty 
in  preventing  his  teeth  from  meeting,  "  you  will 
proceed  on  your  voyage.  The  ship  is  not  to  be 
detained  a  minute  on  7ny  account." 

"  I  want  my  boat,"  said  Stagg,  with  a  coun- 
tenance of  gloomy  astonishment,  "and  I  want 
my  two  men." 

"  So  far  as  my  wishes  are  concerned,"  con- 


230  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  vill 

tinned  the  General,  "  you  will  not  waste  an 
instant  in  search  when  wind  comes.  The 
voyage  already  threatens  to  be  unusually  long. 
Your  boat  is  of  small  consequence  compared  to 
the  loss  of  time  you  must  incur  in  perhaps  fruit- 
lessly seeking  her." 

I  glanced  at  the  faces  of  the  people  who  were 
listening.  The  general  expression  was  one  of 
disgust  and  dismay. 

"  But  it's  not  a  question  only  of  the  boat,  Sir 
Charles,"  cried  Captain  Stagg  ;  "  there  are  four 
human  beings  adrift  in  her,  and  one — "  The 
General  saw  what  was  coming  and  scowled  him 
into  silence. 

"  My  wishes  are  that  when  the  wind  comes 
you  proceed  without  a  moment^s  unnecessary 
delay  on  your  voyage,"  he  exclaimed,  letting 
each  word  drop  from  his  lips  as  though  it  were 
of  lead,  and  then  without  a  look  at  us,  without 
a  glance  at  the  sea,  with  a  face  of  wood,  he 
marched  to  the  companion  and  disappeared. 

Colonel  Mowbray,  a  mild-mannered  gentle- 


"  MY    WISHES    ARE    THAT  WHEN    THE    WIND    COMES    YOU   PROCEED 
WITHOUT   A   moment's    UNNECESSARY   DELAY   ON   YOUR   VOYAGE." 


VIII  CONCLUSION  233 

manly  little  man,  who  had  stood  at  my  side 
surveying  the  General  whilst  he  talked  with 
looks  of  horror,  turned  to  me  and  said  :  "'  He's 
not  accountable.  He  must  not  be  held  to  mean 
what  he  says.  Captain  Stagg,"  he  exclaimed, 
advancing  to  the  skipper,  "  you  will  not  of  course 
dream  of  relinquishing  your  resolution  to  search 
for  the  boat  ?  " 

"Only  let  there  come  wind!"  cried  Stagg. 
"  Not  that  it  wouldn't  serve  the  four  of  them 
rieht  to  leave  them  to  their  fate.  What !  to 
steal  my  boat,"  he  roared,  clenching  his  fist, 
•'  and  gag  and  frap  my  second  mate  as  though 
he  were  the  remains  of  a  tawps'l  in  a  gale  of 
wind  !  " 

Well,  one  saw  clearly  enough  that,  General 
or  no  General,  the  skipper  meant  to  recover  his 
boat  if  he  could  come  at  her  ;  but  for  the  rest 
of  the  day  we  could  all  of  us  talk  of  little  more 
than  Sir  Charles's  inhuman  language,  the  horribly 
unnatural  resolution  he  had  formed — during 
those  hours  of  darkness  in  which  he  had  stood 


234  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

watching  the  sea — to  obhge  (if  he  could)  the 
captain  to  leave  his  daughter,  not  to  mention 
the  others,  to  the  dreadful  doom — as  it  seemed 
to  us  all — into  which  she  had  been  courted 
by  her  lover ;  and  a  deal  of  talk  was  also 
expended  in  wondering  what  was  going  to 
happen  should  the  boat  be  picked  up  and  the 
lovers  brought  aboard  again.  But  in  truth  there 
was  nothing  to  be  done  ;  we  could  only  go  on 
surmising,  with  a  vague  sort  of  fancy  of  any 
hour  giving  us  a  sight  of  the  boat.  For  action 
was  impossible  ;  all  that  day  and  all  the  follow- 
ing night  the  ship  lay  lifeless ;  there  was  not  a 
whisper  of  air  in  the  wide  and  blazing  circle 
round,  and  throughout  the  hours  of  darkness 
the  hush,  the  death-like  repose  was  even 
supremer  than   on  the  previous  night. 

Sir  Charles  came  and  went  as  heretofore  ;  he 
took  his  place  at  the  table,  ate  with  his  customary 
appetite,  and  was  noticeable  for  no  other  change 
whatever  that  I  could  witness  in  him — beyond 
the  sickly  hue  and  sudden  ageing  of  his   face — 


VIII  CONCLUSION  235 

than  an  increase  in  his  reserve.  He  seldom 
spoke,  and  when  on  deck  he  walked  alone,  but 
we  all  of  us  noticed  that  if  he  glanced  seawards 
the  act  appeared  involuntary.  There  was  no 
suggestion  of  searching  in  his  gaze,  no  hint  that 
his  mind  was  out  upon  that  broad  breast  of 
waters. 

The  lovers  had  eloped  on  a  Wednesday  night, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  following  Friday  after- 
noon at  about  three  o'clock  that  the  water  in 
the  south-west  was  darkened  by  the  brushing 
of  a  merry  breeze  of  wind,  which,  flashing  into 
the  full  breasts  of  the  ship's  canvas,  heeled  her 
like  a  schooner  in  a  yacht  match,  and  once 
more  her  metalled  forefoot  drove  shearing  in 
snow  through  the  wrinkled  and  frothing  leagues 
of  brine.  Calculations  as  to  the  boat's  where- 
abouts, supposing  her  to  be  still  afloat,  had  been 
carefully  entered  into  by  Stagg  and  his  mates.  It 
was  known  that  the  lovers  and  the  two  men  had 
gone  away  without  providing  themselves  with 
mast  or   sail  ;  which  simply  signified  that  they 


236  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

counted  wholly  upon  the  luck  of  being  picked  up 
by  a  passing  ship.  The  captain  therefore  allowed 
the  boat  a  progress  of  about  two  miles  in  the  hour 
from  the  moment  of  her  starting  ;  and  the  space 
of  ocean  to  be  swept  comprised  an  area  whose 
semi-diameter  starting  at  the  point  where  the  ship 
had  lain  becalmed  terminated  a  league  or  two 
beyond  the  distance  it  was  assumed  the  boat 
had  attained.  Men  whose  eyes  were  sharp 
were  stationed  at  the  mastheads,  and  the  ship 
rushed  along  on  a  wild  wide  hunt.  The  interest 
was  so  profound,  the  excitement  so  great,  the 
desire  to  rescue  Miss  Primrose  at  least  from  the 
horribly  perilous  situation  her  love  had  hurried 
her  into  was  so  consuming  that  the  passengers 
could  scarcely  be  tempted  from  the  deck  even 
by  the  ringing  of  the  dinner  bell,  whilst  a  gleam 
of  daylight  lived  in  the  west.  Until  the  night 
came  down  dark  we  were  overhanging  the  rail 
intently  staring,  uttering  ejaculations  as  one 
or  another  of  us  imagined  we  saw  something 
black  in  the  distance,  some  of  the  younger  offi- 


VIII  CONCLUSION  237 

cers  creeping  up  the  mizzen  rigging,  whilst  Bur- 
ton managed  to  get  as  high  as  the  cross-trees, 
where  he  stood  surveying  the  sea  through  an 
eyeglass.  The  ladies  were  incessantly  asking 
if  there  was  anything  in  sight,  and  I  grew 
weary  at  last  of  poising  a  telescope  for  them  to 
look  through,  so  satisfied  were  they  that  they 
had  keener  eyes  than  any  of  us  men,  and  that 
they  would  be  the  first  to  see  the  boat  if  they  knew 
how  to  look  through  a  telescope  without  help. 

But  we  stared  in  vain.  Nothing  hove  into 
view  this  side  of  sunset.  The  captain  shortened 
sail  after  dark  and  ordered  lanterns  to  be  shown 
and  rockets  to  be  fired,  not  unwisely  suspecting 
that  if  the  four  were  still  afloat  they  would  by 
this  time  have  had  enough  of  their  open  boat 
and  endeavour  to  make  for  the  ship  should  she 
drive  with  her  lamps  and  her  fireworks  into  the 
sphere  of  their  horizon.  But  though  we  jogged 
slowly  through  the  night,  with  penetrating  eyes 
searching  the  dusk,  and  lanterns  bravely  burn- 
ing along   the  rail,  nothing  showed,  and  when 


238  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

the  grey  dawn  broke  with  a  dirty  scud — like 
smoke  blowing  up  off  the  rim  of  the  south-west 
horizon,  and  a  long  tumble  of  frothing  sea  cross- 
ing a  strong  northerly  swell  that  had  risen  sud- 
denly in  the  night,  the  ocean  brimmed  bare  to 
the  slope  of  the  sky. 

Yet  for  three  successive  days  did  Stagg  per- 
severe. Over  and  over  again  the  braces  were 
manned,  the  course  shifted  and  the  ship's  keel 
driven  along  a  new  line  of  quest.  Sir  Charles's 
demeanour  had  hardened  into  utter  impenetra- 
bility. One  explored  his  countenance  in  vain 
for  the  vaguest  hint  of  what  was  passing  in  his 
mind.  He  asked  no  questions — took  visibly 
no  interest  whatever  in  the  manoeuvring  of  the 
ship,  came  and  went,  ate  and  drank,  and  seemed 
to  find  a  gloomy  and  perhaps  savage  satisfac- 
tion in  exhibiting  himself  as  a  triumph  of  insen- 
sibility. 

I  happened  to  be  in  the  saloon  on  the  last 
day  of  the  hunt.  The  General  was  seated  alone 
on  a  sofa  near  his  cabin  with  spectacles  on  nose, 


viil  CONCLUSION  239 

reading"  a  book.  There  was  a  strone  sailing- 
wind  blowing — a  fair  wind  for  our  voyage,  but 
foul  for  the  line  of  hunt  we  were  just  then 
steering  along,  and  the  vessel  was  breaking  the 
seas  angrily  as  she  leaned  from  the  wind  with 
her  yards  almost  fore  and  aft.  The  Captain 
came  below  and  seeing  Sir  Charles,  stood  look- 
ing at  him  with  an  air  of  irresolution  for  a 
moment  or  two  ;  then  stepping  up  to  him 
exclaimed  : 

"  General,  I  fear  we  must  give  up  the  search.'' 

Sir  Charles  seemed  not  to  hear.  Indeed  he 
did  not  raise  his  eyes,  as  though  unconscious  of 
the  presence  of  the  man  who  stood  in  front 
of  him.     Stagg  was  nettled. 

''The  boat's  not  to  be  found.  Sir  Charles," 
he  exclaimed  in  a  harsh  voice,  "and  as  we've 
sighted  nothing  that  could  have  fallen  in  with 
her,  and  as  there's  been  likewise  some  stiff  seas 
running,  it  looks  uncommonly  like  as  though 
she's  foundered." 

"  What  is  it  you  want  to  tell  me  ? "  said  Sir 


240  A    STRANGE   ELOPEMENT  viil 

Charles,  frowning  as  he  gazed  at  the  skipper  over 
the  tops  of  his  spectacles. 

*'  Why  that  we  must  give  up  seeking  and 
proceed  on  our  voyage." 

"  I  told  you  to  do  so  at  the  first  opportunity 
the  wind  offered,"  thundered  the  General. 

The  skipper  with  a  single  pause  of  disgust 
and  astonishment — and  salt-hardened  as  the 
fellow's  soul  was,  I  believe  he  was  as  much 
shocked  as  I  and  two  or  three  others^  who  at 
the  other  end  of  the  saloon  had  listened  to  this 
brief  conversation — the  little  skipper,  I  say, 
rounded  upon  his  heels  and  ran  on  deck.  His 
voice  swept  through  the  hum  of  the  wind  in  a 
roar  that  was  swiftly  re-echoed  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  decks  were  filled  with  sailors  busy 
in  bracing  the  yards  for  the  ship  to  come  to  Ker 
course  for  the  voyage  to  India. 

And  here  terminated  the  extraordinary  inci- 
dent I  have  endeavoured  to  relate,  so  far  as  my 
association  with  it  goes.      Upon  the  subsequent 


VIII 


CONCLUSION  241 


behaviour  of  the  General,  upon  Captain  Stagg's 
very  tardy  apology  to  me,  upon  what  was  said, 
and  no  doubt  thought  by  the  passengers,  I 
mieht  enlaro^e.  But  let  me  hasten  rather  to 
the  issue  of  this  curious  ocean  experience  of  us 
passengers  aboard  the  Light  of  Asia. 

I  had  been  in  India  two  years  when  a  brother 
officer,  who  had  not  long  joined,  asked  me  if  I 
had  come  from  England  in  the  same  ship  that- 
had  broucrht  out  Sir  Charles  Primrose. 

I  answered  yes. 

"  Then,"  said  he,  ''  you  were  in  the  ship  when 
his  daughter  eloped  with  a  young  fellow  named 
Cunningham  in  an  open  boat  ? " 

"All  this,"  said  I,  "  is  no  news  to  me."' 

"I  had  heard,"  said  he,  "that  you  were  in 
the  Light  of  Asia.  Did  you  ever  hear  the 
sequel  of  the  elopement  ?  " 

"I  should  think,"  said  I,  "that  the  story  of 
that  sequel  must  be  sought  for  at  the  bottom  of 

the  sea." 

"  Oh  dear  no,"  he  exclaimed,  "  wait  a  minute  ; 

R 


242  A   STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

I  have  the  full  particulars  of  it  in  my  room." 
He  went  away  and  returned  after  a  little  with  a 
cutting  from  an  Indian  newspaper — the  Times 
of  India,  I  believe  it  was.  It  is  long  ago  since 
I  read  it  and  my  memory  is  not  what  it  was  ; 
but  to  the  best  of  my  recollection  it  was  to  this 
effect  : 

"  At  such  and  such  a  date/'  making  the  period 
some  months  from  the  day  of  the  elopement, 
**  a  large  American  ship,  named  the  Consta^ice 
Warwick,  arrived  at  the  port  of  New  York,  and 
her  master,  a  person  named  Ephraim  Kerr, 
related  the  following,  probably  in  the  form  of  a 
deposition,  but  such  as  it  was  it  speedily  found 
its  way  into  the  newspapers.  Captain  Kerr, 
during  the  homeward  voyage  from  Madagascar, 
when  something  to  the  north  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  on  the  Atlantic  side,  fell  in  with  a 
large  three-masted  schooner  with  colours  flying, 
'  To  Speak.'  The  topsail  was  laid  to  the  mast 
and  the  schooner  ranged  alongside  within  hail- 
ing distance.     Her    Captain,   standing    in   the 


VIII  CONCLUSION  245 

mizzen  rigging,  Informed  Captain  Kerr  that 
when  In  latitude  2°N,  he  had  fallen  In  with  an 
open  boat  containing  four  persons,  one  of  whom 
was  a  lady.  The  schooner  was  bound  to  a 
Western  Australian  port  ;  the  people  she  had 
rescued  wanted  to  return  to  England  ;  would 
the  Constance  Wariuick  receive  them  ?  Captain 
Kerr  replied  that  his  ship  .was  bound  to  New 
York,  and  that  If  the  four  persons  were  willing 
to  be  carried  to  that  city,  he  would  be  glad 
to  take  them  on  board.  On  this  a  boat  con- 
taining a  lady  and  gentleman  and  two  sailors, 
rowed  by  a  couple  of  the  schooner's  men, 
and  steered  by  the  master  of  the  schooner, 
•  put  off  and  came  alongside  the  Constance 
Warwick  y 

Needless  to  say  that  the  lady  and  gentle- 
man were  Mr.  Cunningham  and  Miss  Prim- 
rose, and  the  others  the  two  seamen  who 
had  formed  part  of  the  crew  of  the  Light 
of  Asia. 

"The  master  of  the   schooner  took  Captain 


246  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

Kerr  aside    and    told    him    that    the  lady  and 
gentleman  and  sailors  had  explained  their  situa- 
tion thus  ;  that  they  belonged  to  an  East  India- 
g;nan    bound    to    Calcutta,    that    having    been 
tempted  by  the  sight  of    a    wreck   to    explore 
her  they,  on  a  calm  still  day,  with  the  permission 
of  the  captain  of  the  Indiaman,  who  considered 
two  seamen  crew  enough  for  the  boat,  started 
for  the  wreck,  but  a  change  of  weather  happen- 
ing very  suddenly  they  lost  the  ship.     This  was 
their  story.     The  master  of  the  schooner  told 
Captain  Kerr  that  he  didn't  believe  it.      First, 
the  boat   was   found  fairly   victualled,  and  this 
certainly   did   not   suggest    that  the  party  had 
started  on  a  holiday  jaunt  for  an  hour  or  two. 
Next,  it  was  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  boat 
would  have  been  despatched  without  an  officer 
in  charo^e  of  her.      However,  be  the  truth  what 
it  might,  they  had  stuck  to  this  story,  and  as  it 
was  no  business  of  the  master  of  the  schooner, 
he  had  made,  outside  a  few  questions,  no  very 
particular  inquiries. 


VIII  CONCLUSION  247 

*'  The  Constance  Wariuick  proceeded  on  her 
voyage  to  New  York,  and  during  the  run  one 
of  the  sailors,  whilst  muddled  with  rum,  gave 
the  whole  story  to  a  number  of  the  American 
Jacks  as  they  were  seated,  during  their  watch 
below,  in  the  forecastle.  This  was  repeated  to 
the  mate  ;  the  mate  communicated  it  to  Captain 
Kerr,  who,  on  asking  Mr.  Cunningham  if  the 
narrative  were  true,  was  assured  that  it  was 
absolutely  so." 

Thus  it  was  that  the  story  found  its  way  into 
print.  It  was  republished  in  the  English  news- 
papers and  copied  by  the  Indian  journals.  But 
locomotion,  whether  by  sea  or  land,  was  as  we 
all  know  sluggish  in  those  days,  and  hence  the 
length  of  time  that  elapsed  before  I,  who  was 
then  in  India,  got  the  news  of  the  sequel  of  the 
incident  as  related  by  the  Captain  of  the  Con- 
stance Warwick  at  New  York. 

When  many  years  after  I  returned  to  England 
I  made  inquiries  about  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cunning- 
ham, but  never  could  Q^et  to  hear  more  than  that 


248  A    STRANGE    ELOPEMENT  viii 

after  the  death  of  old  Mrs.  Cunningham,  her 
son  had  let  or  sold  the  property  he  inherited 
and  settled  with  his  wife  somewhere  in  the  South 
of  France. 


THE  END 


KICHAKD    CLAY   AXD   SONS,    LIMITED,    LONDON   AND   BUNGAY. 


14  DAY  USE 

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